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HARRiMAN 


CLASS  WAR  IN  IDAHO 


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^IHIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMllllllllllliliiiililililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM 

1  THE   VOLKS-SEITUNG   LIBRARY.  5 

2  Published  at  184  William  Street,  N.  Y.  z 

I  Vol.  2.  No.  4.  July  1.  1900.  = 

=  PRICE   5   CENTS.  Tearly  Subicription,  60  CenU.  5 


THE  CLASS  WAR  IN  IDAHO. 


THE   HORRORS   OF  THE   BULL   PEN 


An  Indictment  of  Combined  Capital  in  Conspiracy  with 

President  McKinley,  General  Merriam  and  Governor  Steunenberg, 

for  their  Crimes  Against  the  Miners  of  the  Coeur  d'Alenes. 


By  JOB  HARRIMAN. 

=                                        Third  Edition.  \ 

jj  ■ 

-                                                                      »'  : 

z  • 

S                    Kntereil  as  .socond  class  matter  at  the  Ne\N               i*ost  Office,  ■ 

5                                                             October  30,  1899.  = 

z  ■ 

niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir 

jig:, 


iiiiiillillllllllliiiiiiliiiilliiillinillllllliilililiiilllillilliliiiniliiiilililliiiillllliliiiliiiiii I,:       j^ 


The    ''Bull  Pen 


HESTERN  FEDERATION  OF  IIIHER& 

BUTTE,  MONTANA,  Juiy  19,  1900. 
MR.  JOB  HARRIMAN, 

184  William  Street,  New  York  City. 
Dear  Friend  Harrirpan: 

I  have  read  yonr  pamphlet  on  the  Coeur  d'Alene  mining  trouble  with 
much  interest,  and  must  say  that  it  is  the  only  fair  and  logical  presentation 
of  the  situation  that  has  ever  been  published.  It  is  a  true  history  of  the  labor 
difficulties,  and  does  not  contain  a  single  statement  that  can  be  contra- 
dicted by  the  mine  operators. 

I  must  say  that  you  deserve  great  credit  for  the  good  work  you  have 
done  in  writing  the  true  history  of  this  great  struggle  under  such  adverse 
circumstances.  I  wish  every  laboring  man  and  woman  in  the  United  States 
could  read  this  pamphlet.  There  would  be  fewer  volunteers  to  shoot  down 
workingmen  for  such  combines  as  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  and  still  fewer 
to  vote  for  the  parties  that  support  and  foster  such  combinations. 

Let  us  know  when  you  publish  the  second  edition  and  I  will  send  you  an 
order  for  ten  thousand  copies  for  distribution. 


Fraternally  yours, 


EDWARD  BOYCE, 


President  Western    Federation  of  Miners. 


=llll||llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllSllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilll> 


(0?,h'^ 


W.  aSSS  WAR  IN 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  SEAT  OF  WAR- 


Tbf  PoMir  (1* Alone  mining  district,  of 
Idaho,  iu  wliiih  tlie  great  labor  war 
has  been  raging  during  the  hist  twelve 
years,  is  about  eight  by  twenty-five 
miles  in  extent.  The  battlefield  is  In 
Shoshone  County,  located  in  the  heart 
of  the  mountains,  at  an  altitude  of 
about  twenty-eight  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea.  Wallace,  the  county  seat, 
\>ith  a  population  of  S.OOO,  lies  in  a 
little  basin,  on  every  side  of  which  are 
high  and  steep  mountains,  covered 
with  pine,  fir,  and  tamarack. 

During  the  winter  season,  the  deep 
monntnln  shadows,  deepened  by  the 
clouds  tliat  hover  about  the  peaks, 
cast  a  gloom  over  the  little  basin 
which  makes  it  seem  like  the 
very  "Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death." 
But  in  the  sunvmer  time,  when  the 
clouds  are  driven  away  and  the  moun- 
tain shades  are  made  welcome  by  a 
warmer  sun,  Wallace  becomes  a  most 
delightful  resort.  The  air  is  clear  and 
bracing,  the  nights  are  cool  and  rest- 
ful, the  streams  flow  with  as  abund- 
ance of  cold  water,  the  Coeur  d'Alene 
Lake  abounds  with  fish,  and  the  for- 
ests with  berries  and  wild  game. 

From  the  little  basin  in  which  Wal- 
lace is  located,  canyons  radiate  in  ev- 
ery direction.  It  is  up  these  canyons 
that  the  mines  and  the  mining  camps 
are  to  be  found. 

The  location  gives  to  Wallace  the 
coramorcial  advantage  over  the  sur- 
rounding towns,  and  it  is,  accordingly, 
the  place  where  the  business  of  this 
district  for  the  most  part  1»  con- 
ducted. This  little  commercial  ceiitci- 
ha«  also  been  the  center  of  the  field 
upon  which  two  of  the  fiercest  labo»* 
battles  of  the  world  have  been  fought. 

That  a  fair  understanding  of  this 
great  ditficulty  may  be  acquired,  It  will 
Ik»  necessary  to  keep  constantly  in 
mind  thp  fact  timt  this  Cceuv  d'^J^ne 


district  is  one  of  the  richest  mlnernl 
belts  in  all  the  world;  that  it  is  larg«^ly 
controlled  by  a  few  companies;  that  It 
is  only  beginning  to  be  developtnl;  that 
Mages  In  this  district,  from  the  firat, 
have  been  $3.50  a  day;  that  the  miuerfi 
have  never  asked  for  more  than  $.3..j0 
a  day;  that  the  mine  owners  have  con- 
stantly made  an  aggressive  warfare 
against  this  rate  of  wages;  and  that 
the  miners  have  been  forced  to  conduct 
a  defensive  warfare  to  maintain  it 

Hence,  the  wage  question  In  the 
Coeur  d'Alene  troubles,  as  In  almost 
every  other  labor  difficulty,  was  the 
cause  of  the  conflict.  All  other  differ- 
ences arising  between  the  miners  ami 
mine  owners,  were  of  but  little  Im- 
portance and  will  be  considered  ac- 
cordingly. 

By  taking  up  the  facta  chronolo- 
gically, we  will  be  able  to  determine 
whether  it  was  the  miners  or  the  mine 
owners  who  were  responsible  for  the 
plans  of  the  battle  and  the  crimes  to 
which  they  have  led. 

TTntil  seventeen  years  ago.  the  Coeur 
a'Alenes  served  as  haunts  for  wild 
men  and  wild  beasts,  and  the  region 
wnr,  practically  free  from  the  hand  of 
civilization.  But  In  1R82  some  pro- 
si)ectors,  who  had  wandered  from  the 
beaten  path,  dlscoverf  d  some  very  rich 
gold  deposits,  and  the  news  of  this 
fact  Mas  Immediately  circulated 
throughout  the  country,  and  especially 
through  the  mining  camps  of  the  West 
luti^rest  was  awakened,  many  pro- 
speciora  went  to  seek  their  f*rtnnea 
there,  aud  some  found  them  In  enor- 
mously rich  placers.  These  ftictn 
added  fuel  to  the  already  awaJcened  In- 
terest which  developed  lnt«  the 
famoiis  C<vUT  d'Alene  gold  ferer.  re- 
sulting in  a  great  rHsh  to  that  country, 
during  the  winter  of  ISSTt  and  ^f^V. 
M«re  thaa  tea  thousand  aactt  wera  al 


«^2-^ 


the  diggings  at  this  time,  and  the  vast 
majority  of  them  were  American  citi- 
zens. 

P'rom  the  camps  already  located, 
prospectors  ventured  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  it  was  soon  discovered  that 
the  mountains  above  the  lalie  were 
charged  and  surcharged  with  lead  and 
silver,  and  that  the  gold  fields,  though 
rich,  were  of  comparatively  little  im- 
portance. 

Development  work  was  at  once  be- 
gun on  these  new  claims;  tunnels  weio 
run  into  the  mountains,  and  unlimited 
bodies  of  ore  were  struck,  the  concen- 
trates containing  30  ounces  or  more 
of  silver  and  1,200  pounds  of  lead  to 
the  ton.  This  was  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  the  construction  of  large  con- 
centrators, and  permanent  mining 
camps,  so  that  in  the  year  1887  a  few 
large  mines  were  running  in  full  blast, 
with  a  total  force  of  more  than  a  thou- 
sand men.  ,   . 

ENORMOUS  DIVIDENDS 

Those  mines  declared  enormous  divi- 
dends at  the  end  of  every  month;  ma;;y 
new  claims  were  being  located,  with 
even  brighter  prospects  than  those  al- 
ready developed;  and  thus  the  Cceur 
d'Alenes  became  destined  to  produce, 
in  the  near  future,  by  far  the  major 
portion  of  the  lead  used  in  the  United 
States. 

The  largest  producer  in  the  district 
was  the  Bunker  Hill  and  Sullivan 
mine.  Not  only  did  it  produce  the 
most  lead  and  silver,  but  it  declared 
the  largest  dividends  in  proportion  to 
the  capital  invested.  But  this  com- 
pany was  not  content  with  this  good 
fortune.  They  became  bidders  for  all 
good  prospects  in  their  immediate 
vicinity;  and  ofttimes,  when  the  price 
could  not  be  agreed  upon,  they  would 
jump  the  claims  and  enter  the  courts 
for  a  contest.  Thus,  like  His  Satanic 
M.ijesty,  they  walked  up  and  down  the 
e.arth,  seeking  whom  they  might  de- 
vour. 

Nor  yet  were  they  satisfied.  Their 
greed  would  not  let  them  rest  while 
there  was  a  penny  eluding  their  grasp. 
They  looked  with  envy  upon  their  em- 
ployees. They  argued  that  the  men 
could  exist  upon  less  than  they  were 
receiving.  The  very  men  who  pro- 
duced the  thousands,  which  were  be- 
ing divided  every  monti  i  ns  dividends, 
were  iovked  m>vii  b^  tke  company-  wUh 


jealousy  and  hatred,  and  for  no  other 
reason  than  that  the  men  were  receiv- 
ing $3.50  a  day  for  the  dangerous  and 
unhealthful  work  which  they  were  do- 
ing. The  passion  for  dividends  being 
their  ruling  motive,  greed  dictated  the 
terms. 

Notice  was  accordingly  served  upon 
the  miners  that  wages  would  be  cut 
from  $3.50  per  day  to  $2.50  and  $3  a 
day.  Thus  the  first  gun  was  fired  in 
the  Coeur  d'Alene  labor  war,  by  the 
owners  of  the  Bunker  Hill  and  Sulli- 
van mine,  in  the  year  1887. 

As  a  herd  of  wild  cattle  will  rush 
together,  encircle  their  young,  with 
their  heads  turned  out,  and  their  horns 
to  the  ground,  in  order  to  defend  them- 
selves against  a  pack  of  attacking 
wolves,  so  the  miners  rushed  together, 
entered  into  a  compact;  agreed  to  re- 
sist the  reduction,  and  thereby  defend 
themselves  and  their  families,  against 
the  unjust  attack  of  the  company. 
Thus  the  first  labor  organization  was 
formed  in  the  district;  it  was  known 
as  the  "Wardner  Miners'  Union."  It 
'was  a  defensive  organization,  forced 
into  existence  by  the  company  itself. 
It  has  always  remained  a  defensive  or- 
ganization, fighting  for  but  one  thing, 
namely,  to  maintain  the  wage  at  $3 
and  $3.50  a  day.  It  was  a  righteous 
organization,  because  the  men  pro- 
duced not  only  the  $3.50  which  they 
received  each  day,  but  also  the  vast 
dividends  which  the  companies  re- 
ceived. Had  they  not  defended  them- 
salves  and  their  homes  against  this 
unjust  attacli,  their  servile  cowardice 
would  have  merited  the  contempt  even 
of  the  company. 

When  we  consider  that  their  average 
gross  monthly  earnings  were  less  than 
$100,  that  their  board  cost  them  $30  a 
month,  their  ipining  clothes  $20,  bunks 
$8,  and  other  necessary  expenses  at 
least  $15,  we  find  that  they  had  less 
than  $.30  a  month  left.  It  must  also  be 
remembered  that  this  is  a  most  danger- 
ous occupation,  and  that  the  company 
does  not  insure  against  loss  of  life 
or  limb. 

THE  FIRST  VICTORY. 
With  the  sense  of  justice  confirming 
their  action,  the  union  became  a  solid 
phalanx.  The  company  could  not 
break  it.  A  retreat  was  ordered,  and 
the  $3  and  $3.50  scale  was  maintained. 
Thus  the  first  skirmish  ended,  .nuA"  ^h* 


-S-i' 


This  skirmish  was  watched  In  all  the 
miaes  of  the  district,  and  both  the 
companies  and  the  men  were  there- 
after constantly  upon  their  guard.  Ac- 
cordingly, when  the  rumor  that  wages 
were  to  be  reduced,  became  prevalent 
in  any  locality,  the  men  did  not  wait 
for  the  lirst  step  to  be  taken  by  the 
company,  as  had  been  done  in  Ward- 
ner,  but  Immediately  organized  their 
union  and  prepared  for  the  fray.  Thus 
unions  were  organized  at  Mullen  in  '88, 
at  Burke  In  '89,  and  at  Gem  in  '90. 
On  no  occasion  did  any  of  these  unions 
ask  for  more  than  $3.50  a  day.  They 
were  all  organized  to  defend  this  $3.50 
rate.  And  in  1890,  they  were  abso- 
lutely Independent  of  each  other. 

THE  HOSPITAL  QUESTION. 

At  this  time  there  developed  an  open 
opposition,  to  the  hospital  service. 
This  arose  out  of  the  unfair  methods 
by  which  the  companies  were  conduct- 
ing such  institutions.  More  than  1,200 
men  were  now  working  in  the  mines, 
and  each  man  was  paying  $1  a  month, 
as  hosiptal  fees.  This  meant  $1,200  a 
month.  And  yet  the  apartments  were 
poor  and  the  services  were  practically 
worthless.  The  miners  protested  to 
the  mine  owners  against  such  treat- 
ment, but  met  with  no  success.  Some 
of  the  men  suggested  that  the  unions 
should  support  a  hospital  of  their 
own.  But  each  union  was  too  weak 
for  such  an  undertaking,  and  there  be- 
ing no  federation,  they  were  practi- 
cally helpless.  A  committee  was 
therefore  appointed  by  one  of  the 
unions,  with  Instructions  to  draft  a 
plan  for  conducting  a  Miners'  Union 
Hospital,  and  to  lay  the  proposition  be- 
fore all  the  unions  In  the  district.  This 
proposition  was  at  once  accepted,  com- 
mittees from  each  union  were  appolnt- 
e<l.  Wallace  was  chosen  as  the  seat, 
being  the  most  central  location,  and  all 
the  members  paid  their  $1  a  month  to 
this  hospital,  Instead  of  paying  It  to 
the  one  belonging  to  the  mine  owners. 
A  vigorous  protest  was  made  by  the 
mine  owners  against  this  step.  But 
If  the  mine  owners  were  truthful  in 
their  statement  "that  it  cost  them  $1  a 
month  for  every  employee,  to  keep  up 
the  hospitals,"  then  the  miners  could 
not  understand  why  they  should  not 
bo  permitted  to  run  their  own  estab- 
li«hment,  so  long  as  the  sick  were 
saUsfied.    But  when  they  informed  tk% 


mine  owners  that  the  services  were 
far  Ix^tter  than  they  had  been,  and  yet 
the  protest  was  persisted  in,  the  unloQ 
concluded  that  the  mine  owners  had 
been  running  their  hospital  for  the 
money  there  was  In  It  and  not  for  the 
benefit  of  the  sick.  This  step  was, 
therefore,  a  measure  of  defense,  which 
they  were  forced  to  Inaugurate,  In  or- 
der that  their  sick  might  be  well  cared 
for. 

To  conduct  this  enterprise,  the 
unions  formed  a  fedt-ratlon  of  all  the 
unions  In  the  district,  known  as  the 
"Miners'  Union  of  the  Cceur  d'Ak-nei." 
Thus  the  federation  was  the  child  of 
persecution,  born  of  the  necessity  for 
defense  against  the  greed  of  the  mine 
owners.  The  miners  were  In  the  right 
The  defense  was  successful,  the  vic- 
tory was  easily  won,  and  the  Federa- 
tion still  lives.  The  importance  at- 
tached to  the  hospital  ditficulty,  so  far 
as  the  history  of  the  war  is  concerned, 
is  to  show  how  and  why  the  Federation 
developed. 

At  this  time,  the  men  were  In  pre- 
cisely the  same  position  as  they  were 
before  the  tirst  union  was  organised: 
that  is,  they  were  receiving  $3  and 
$3.50  a  day  and  no  favors;  and  all  men 
working  in  or  about  the  mines  were 
eligible  to  membership  in  the  union. 

MACHINERY  INTRODUCED. 

In  the  winter  of  1S90-1891.  the  mine 
owners  made  an  important  change  In 
the  working  of  their  mines.  Previous 
to  this  time  all  drilling  was  done  by 
hand.  The  machine  drill  was  now  In- 
troduced, and  one  man  could  do  aa 
much  work  as  live  men  could  formerly 
do.  Four  out  of  every  five  men  who 
had  been  receiving  $3.50  a  day  were 
now  put  to  shoveling,  and  given  only 
$3  a  day.  With  a  few  machines, 
the  same  force  of  men  would  tura 
out  almost  twice  as  much  iwk 
as  before.  The  shovelers  were  driven 
much  harder  than  formerly,  making 
shoveling  as  hard  as  machine  work; 
and  yet  the  total  amount  of  wages  paid 
was  much  less. 

By  reason  of  this  change,  which 
made  all  underground  work  practically 
the  same,  and  yet  had  resulted  la  re- 
ducing the  wages  and  increasing  the 
output,  the  union  decided  that  they 
Would  not  submit  to  the  reduction,  but 
that  they  would  make  a  demand  for 
|3.50  for  all  underground  work» 


They  agreed  that  each  union  should 
make  the  demand  upon  all  the  mine 
owners  within  its  jurisdiction  at  the 
same  time.  They  decided  that  the 
campaign  should  begin  at  Burke.  And 
as  soon  as  the  mine  owners  at  Burke 


had'  agreed  to  pay  the  old  $3.50  scale, 
it  was  arranged  that  the  imion  at 
Gem  should  make  the  demand  upon  all 
the  mine  owners  within  its  jurisdic- 
tion. Then  Mullen  should  follow  in 
the  same  way,  and  then  Wardner. 


CHAPTER   II. 


THE  TROUBLES  OF  '91. 


The  campaign  was  begun  in  June  10, 
1S91,  and  was  followed  out  as  agreed 
upon.  Within  ten  days,  all  the 
mine  owners  in  the  district  acceeded 
to  the  demand  without  delay,  except 
the  Bunker  Hill  and  Sullivan,  at  Ward- 
ner. This,  it  will  be  remembered,  was 
the  company  which  endeavored  to  re- 
duce wages  in  1887.  It  gave  signs  of 
fight  for  three  days,  and  then  surren- 
dered. 

The  union  thought  it  fair  to  the  mine 
owners  that  outside  men  should  not  be 
paid  as  much  as  underground  men,  the 
work  being  less  arduous  and  less  dan- 
gerous, and  they  amended  their  consti- 
tution, providing  that  only  under- 
ground men  should  belong  to  the 
union.  This  was  satisfactory  to  all  the 
meH  concerned,  and  the  Knights  of 
Laljor  appeared  and  organized  all  the 
outside  men.  From  that  day  to  this, 
they  have  worked  in  harmony  with 
the  Miners'  Union.  Though,  by  means 
of  the  machine  drill,  the  same  force  of 
men  were  able  to  put  out  by  far  more 
rock  than  before  its  introduction,  and 
though  the  total  amount  of  wages  was 
far  less  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of 
rouek  turned  out,  and  though  the  man 
knew  that  the  monthly  dividends  of 
the  mine  owners  bad  l>een  thereby 
increased,  yet,  having  maintained  the 
$3.50  scale,  the  miners  took  no  step  to 
raise  their  wages  above  that  scale;  but 
were  content  that  the  profits  accruing 
from  the  machine  should  go  to  the 
mine  owners.  Hence  the  union,  in  this 
instance,  had  conducted  only  a  de- 
fensive warfare  against  the  new  me- 
thods employed  by  the  capitalists.  And 
aggressive  actions,  direct  and  indirect, 
on  the  part  of  the  mine  owners,  to  re- 
duce the  scale  of  wages  had  resulted 
not  only  in  their  defeat,  but  also  in  a 
thorough  organization  of  the  minevs 
into  an  amalgamated  union  for  de- 
fense. 
The  ^^ei  of  the  uuioiifi  had  been 


demonstrated  on  three  different  occa- 
sions to  be  more  than  equal  to  the 
emergency,  and  it  became  evident  that 
if  the  mine  owners  were  to  be  suc- 
cessfill  in  reducing  the  wages,  they 
must  resort  to  other  methods. 

MINE  OWNERS'  ASSOCIATION. 

Three  companies— the  Bunker  Hill  & 
Sullivan,  the  Helena-Frisco,  and  the 
Gem— headed  a  call  for  a  meeting  of 
all  the  mine  owners  in  the  district. 
The  active  men  were  Hammond,  Brad- 
ley, Esler,  and  Campbell.  This  meet- 
ing was  held  at  Wallace,  in  October, 
1891,  and  resulted  in  the  organization 
of  the  "Mine  Owners'  Protective  Asso- 
ciation," to  which  the  owners  of  all  the 
large  mines  belonged. 

Thus  were  the  two  opposing  forces 
arrayed  and  organized,  and  the  line 
distinctly  drawn  between  them.  On 
the  one  hand  was  the  Union,  on  the 
other,  the  Association;  to  the  one  be- 
longed more  than  1,200  men,  whose 
living  depended  on  their  daily  wages; 
to  the  other  belonged  a  few  million- 
aires, constantly  growing  richer  by 
enormous  monthly  dividends.  The 
one  was  organized  for  the  pui'pose  of 
maintaining  the  wages  at  $3.50  a  day; 
the  other  was  organized  for  the 
avowed  purjwse  of  destroying  the 
union  and  reducing  the  wages  to  $2.50 
a  day. 

At  this  time  some  of  the  companies 
were  declaring  dividends  amounting  to 
$30,000  a  month,  and  the  B.  H,  &  S. 
dividends  were  running  as  high  as 
$00,000  a  month.  And  yet  their  in- 
satiable greed  prompted  them  to  or- 
ganize the  association,  to  make  war 
upon  the  union,  to  crush  it  if  possible, 
and  then  to  lower  the  wages  and  there- 
by still  further  increase  their  divi- 
dends. That  this  was  the  purpose  for 
which  the  association  was  organized 
ai>pears  from  the  following  facts: 
First,   shortly   after  the   association 


was  organized,  Mr.  C.  F.  Easton,  pro- 
sent  State  Senator  from  the  Coeur 
d'Aleuos,  had  contracted  with  the  un^on 
to  do  certain  work  which  would  re- 
quire an  investment  on  his  part 
amounting  to  several  hundred  dollars. 
A  member  of  the  Mine  Owners'  Asso- 
ciation, hearing  of  this  fact,  said  to 
Mr.  Easton:  "Do  not  invest  your  mo- 
ney. There  will  be  no  union  soon.  I 
know  what  I  am  talking  about." 

Second,  the  mine  owners  hired  trai- 
tors to  go  into  the  union  for  the  ex- 
prcjss  purpose  of  betraying  them  to 
the  association.  This  fact  appears  over 
the  signature  of  G.  E.  French,  First 
Lieutenant  of  the  4th  T'.  S.  Infantry, 
In  the  "Overland  Monthly"  for  July, 
1895.  Mr.  French  was  entirely  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  a.ssoclatlon,  and  was  a 
confidant  of  the  mine  owners.  For  this 
reason,  he  will  be  liberally  quoted  in 
this  narration.  He  said:  "The  Mine 
Owners*  Association  employed  one  of 
the  Pinkerton  detectives  known  as 
Seringo,  but  whose  real  name  was  C. 
L.  Alll.son.  He  Ingratiated  himself 
with  the  miners  and  joined  one  of  the 
unions.  He  was  aji  exceedingly  adroit 
man,  and  was  soon  elected  Secretary 
of  the  Gem  Miners'  T'nton.  Thus  the 
Mine  Owners'  Association  was  enable«l 
to  obtain  records  of  the  meetings  and 
keep  well  posted  ui)on  the  plans  and 
actions  of  the  union." 

Third,  a  certain  per  cent,  of  the  gross 
outi)ut  from  each  mine  was  set  aside, 
and  put  into  a  common  fund,  with 
which  to  fight  the  union.  This  fact 
was  told  by  members  of  the  association 
to  merchants  in  Wallace,  who  were 
thought  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the 
mine  owners.  These  merchants  dare 
not  let  their  names  l)e  used,  because 
the  association  has  it  in  its  power  to 
crush  them. 

In  the  light  of  these  facts,  can  It  b? 
denied  that  the  association  had  secretly 
declared  hostilities  and  was  preparing 
for  an  open  battle? 

SHUT.DOWN  OF  1892. 
If  there  is  any  doabt  yet  lingering 
In  the  mind  of  any  reader,  It  will  be 
dispelled  by  the  fact  that  Just  three 
months  from  the  time  when  the  as.so- 
clation  held  this  meeting,  ever}'  mine 
was  shut  down. 

This  act  committed  by  the  associa- 
tion, on  January  la.  1.S92,  locked 
out  more  than  1.200  men.  They 
and     their    families    deiMjnded     upon 


til'  ir  daily  earnings  for  bread.  In  the 
dead  of  winter,  in  this  cohl  northern 
country,  where  fuel  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, where  living  is  expensive,  the 
miners'  resources  were  shut  pff,  with- 
out a  day's  notice. 

The  reason  given  by  the  association 
for  this  act  was  that  "the  exorbitant 
freight  charges  were  consuming  all 
their  profits  and  that  they  would  not 
reopen  until  the  rates  were  satisfac- 
torily adjusted." 

Thus  the  association  endeavored  to 
conceal  Its  real  purpose  beneath  this 
glaring  falsehood.  The  capitalists 
cherished  the  hope  that  the  miners 
would  soon  l)e  starved  into  submission. 
They  thought  that  the  men  would  be 
forced  to  leave  the  country  or  that  the 
union  would  propose  a  reduction  In  the 
rate  of  wages  equivalent  to  the  de- 
sired reduction  in  the  freight  rates. 

But  Immediately  upon  tlie  an- 
nouncement of  their  reason*  for 
closing,  the  union  seized  upon  the 
recent  reports  which  ahowed  the 
dividends  of  some  ot  the  mines  to 
average  $30,000  per  month,  and  In  one 
case  to  average  as  high  as  $00,000  per 
month.  This  fact  was  heralded  to  the 
world.  It  was  proof  positive  that  the 
as.sociatJou  had  not  shut  down  the 
mines  because  the  profits  were  being 
con.«umed  by  freight  charges,  but  that 
the  action  was  prompted  by  their  In- 
satiable craving  to  consume,  by  reduc- 
ing the  wages,  the  small  margin  then 
left  to  the  wage  earners. 

Thus  aggressive  warfare  had  been 
declared  by  this  millionaire  association 
upon  a  union  of  1,200  men.  and  the  line 
Ot  battle  was  drawn  on  the  question 
of  wage«.  The  union  was  again  forced 
to  conduct  a  defensive  warfare. 

Men  were  sent  by  the  union  to  all 
the  great  mining  centers  of  the  West, 
to  explain  the  situation  and  appeal  for 
help.  The  appeal  also  found  Its  way 
through  the  rural  press,  and  from  ev- 
ery quarter  came  a  most  liberal  re- 
sponse. Carloads  of  provisions  from  the 
farmers,  and  heavy  drafts  for  cash 
from  the  unions  came  in  quantities  far 
beyond  all  expe<tation.  rommis.sarIes 
were  opened  and  the  sufTering  was  re- 
lieved. Almost  ever>*  union  miner  re- 
mained in  the  district,  'waiting  for  the 
association  to  hoist  a  flag  of  truce. 

The  resi>onse  with  which  their  ap- 
peal was  meeting  gave  them  every 
reajsou  to  hope  for  an  ultimate  victor/. 


^e-» 


Thongh  they  knew  that  by  the  sweat 
Of  their  brows  did  they  eat  bread,  they 
knew  also  that  by  the  sWeat  of  their 
brows  did  the  companies  declare  divi- 
dends, and  that  while  the  lockout 
lasted  no  dividends  would  be  declared, 
and  a  few  months  without  y  dividends 
would  create  consternation  in  the  Camp 
of  the  enemy.  With  the  knowledge  of 
this  fact,  with  the  conviction  that  they 
were  right,  with  funds  pouring  in,  the 
union  men  were  peaceable  and  quiet, 
but  resolute.  They  had  again  formed 
a  phalanx,  bound  together  by  a  com- 
mon interest,  a  common  necessity,  and 
a  deep  and  mutual  sympathy  which  al- 
ways accompanies  the  sufferings  of  the 
working  class.  And  this  phalanx  was 
as  solid  as  steel. 

Thus  they  stood  for  more  than  two 
months,  awaiting  the  next  move  of  the 
enemy.  During  this  time  both  the  op- 
posing forces  appeared  firm.  But  in 
March  the  association  confessed  its 
plot  and  its  crime,  by  notifying  the 
men  that  the  mines  would  be  opened 
and  that  the  wages  would  be  $2.50  and 
$3  a  day,  instead  of  $3.50. 

By  a  unanimous  vote,  the  union 
spurned  the  offer.  The  mines  did  not 
open.  This  fact  confirmed  the  state- 
ment made  by  the  union,  and  the  sym- 
pathizers kept  up  the  inflowing  stream 
of  provisions  and  money. 

The  association  then  proposed  a  one- 
sided "sliding  scale."  This  was  wholly 
unsatisfactory  and  was  promptly  re- 
jected. 

The  next  aggressive  act  on  the  part 
of  the  association  was  to  ship  non- 
union men  into  the  district  from  other 
States. 

To  defend  themselves  against  this 
new  danger,  the  union  appointed  a 
committee,  whose  duty  it  was  to  ex- 
plain the  situation  to  the  non-union 
men  and  to  offer  to  pay  their  fare  back 
to  their  homes;  or,  if  they  preferred, 
the  union  would  furnish  them  board 
and  lodging  in  Wallace  while  the  strike 
lasted. 

This  was  a  successful  defense,  and 
almost  every  man  laid  down  his  tools 
and  walked  out.  Thus  the  union 
phalanx  was  again  enlarged  and 
strengthened. 

But  no  dividends  were  forthcoming. 
and  something  had  to  be  done.  The  as- 
eociatiou  now  turned  to  the  Federal 
tirlborities, 

fli  IC-  Fr(  nch  tells  us  that  on  May  7, 


1S92,  the  iassociation  secured  an  in- 
junction from  Judge  J.  H.  Beatty  of 
the  United  States  District  Court,  re- 
straining the  miners  from  "interfer- 
ing" with  the  association's  imported 
men.  But  the  union  men,  in  self- 
defense,  continued  to  approach  the  im- 
ported men  in  secret.  This  latest  act 
of  tyranny  not  only  made  their  success 
with  the  non-union  men  even  better 
than  before,  but  it  again  aroused  sym- 
pathizers for  the  union,  and  multiplied 
their  resources. 

This  secret  method  of  defense  on  the 
part  of  the  union  continued  for  four 
weeks,  with  unabated  success. 

The  thought  of  no  dividends  caused 
the  association  to  resort  to  more  forc- 
ible methods.  Mr.  French  tells  us 
(page  44)  that  "an  agreement  was 
made  between  the  mine  owners  that 
none  of  the  union  men  should  be  em- 
ployed," and  he  also  tells  us  that,  ou 
June  4,  the  association  prevailed  upon 
the  Governor  to  issue  a  proclamation, 
warning  the  men  against  using  even 
moral  suasion  to  prevent  imported 
men  from  working.  In  this  proclama- 
tion the  Governor  announced  that,  un- 
less the  unions  refrained  from  such  ac- 
tion, he  would  declare  martial  law  in 
the  district. 

This  aroused  the  citizens  of  Wallace, 
and  large  mass  meetings  were  held 
to  protest  against  the  acts  of  the 
Governor. 

The  moral  suasion  continued,  tho 
miners'  cause  was  being  taken  up  by 
the  people,  and  it  became  apparent 
that  decisive  action  must  be  taken  or 
a  retreat  beaten  by  the  association. 

More  than  five  months  had  pass:'d 
since  war  was  declared.  The  union 
was  stronger  than  ever  before,  and 
every  attack  of  the  Association 
had  been  repelled;  even  the  at- 
tacks made  by  the  Federal  Court  and 
the  Governor  had  been  evaded.  Sum- 
mer was  now  on,  the  stream  of  cash 
and  provisions  flowing  into  the  mines 
was  still  swelling,  and  no  dividends 
Were  being  declared. 

PINKERTONS  BROUGHT  IN. 

Knowing  that  the  Governor  was  with 
them  and  that  there  was  no  danger  of 
prosecution,  the  association  took  the 
law  into  its  own  bauds,  and  imported 
several  car-loads  of  non-union  men  and 
two  hundred  armed  Pinkertou  detec- 
tives. Mr.  French  says  (page  35)  that 
the  nonunion  men  were  put  '\)  worli 


— 7- 


1d  the  mines  and  the  armed  detectives 
were  stationed  about  to  guard  tbem. 

By  this  act,  the  association  had  over- 
reached itself.  The  union  had  only  to 
rest  upon  its  oars,  for  victory  was  now 
assured.  The  Plnicerion  force  was 
(.ostiuK  the  association  II.IKX)  a  duy 
f  and  board,  and  tho  men  in  the  mines 
were  costing  vastly  more.  Still,  no 
dividends. 

The  starving-out  scheme  was  con- 
tinued. But  the  scales  were  turned, 
and  the  enormous  expenses  of  the  as- 
sociation made  it  possible  for  tht» 
unions  to  wait  until  the  companies 
liould  become  bankrupt.  Again  the 
onil)anie.«5  had  been  the  aggressors, 
lud  again  they  were  defeated  without 
the  union  men  raising  a  hand. 

There  was  now  but  one  thing  to  do, 
and  that  was  to  have  the  Governor  de- 
clare martial  law. 

Mr.  French  tells  us  ^page  35)  that  a 
"relgu  of  terrorism  and  ostracism  had 
existed  for  months,"  and  ih  the  same 
passage  he  remarks  that  the  "Miners' 
[  Union  had  the  sympathy  of  a  majority 
■  of  the  people."  Is  it  uot  remarkable 
that  the  people  should  have  been  ter- 
rorized by  those  with  whom  they  sym- 
pathized? v^ 

Though  Mr.  French's  article  did  not 
appear  until  some  time  later,  it  is  a 
very  conservative  specimen  of  tlie  ar- 

!  tides  scattered  by  the  capitalist  press 
throughout  the  country.  The  condi- 
I  tions  were  grossly  exaggerated  by  the 
association.  Foi*  this  was  the  last  ef- 
fort to  prepare  the  outside  public  to 
-upport  martial  law. 

MILITIA  CALLED  OUT. 

It  was  decided  to  call  out  the  militia, 
to  unite  them  with  the  Pinkcrton  force, 
and  to  precii  Itate  a  conflict  between 
them  and  the  union  men. 

But  when  the  militia  were  ordered 
'^iit,  it  was  found  that  they  were  un- 

illiug  to  tight,  that  thtjy  were  in  sym- 
i»athy  with  the  union  men,  and  that 
they  even  permitted  the  latter  to  carry 
aw&y  tlieir  guns. 

Mr.  French  says  that  General  Curti.s 
*' Icgraphed    the    (Jovernor    that    "the 

ilitla    was    Inadequate,    and    that    a 

ice  of  United  States  troops  would  be 

eded  without  delay."  Arrangements 
were  then  made  for  Federal  troops  lo- 
cated at  Fort  Sherman,  Vancouver 
Barracks,  Fort  Keogh.  Fort  Spokane, 
and  Fort  Missoula  to  be  i-eady  to 
u.aich,  on  a  minute's  notice. 


AHEMPTS  TO  PROVOKE  A  FIGHT. 

The  plans  all  havinir  been  laid.  It 
was  only  a  question  of  provoking  a 
contlict.  The  Piukertons  Insulted  the 
wives  and  daughters  of  the  miners 
with  the  most  vulgar  language,  and 
studiously  endeavored  to  provoke  some 
overt  act.  It  was  thought,  that  on  the 
Fourth  of  July,  some  of  the  many 
men  would  be  drinking  and  would 
probably  commit  some  rash  act. 

To  urge  them  on,  a  fl,ag  was  hoisted 
with  an  old  broom  above  It,  and  the 
Piukertons  would  tantalize  the  men  as 
they  pa.ssed,  calling  out  that  they 
would  "sweep  the  union  uiu  of  the 
canyon." 

But  the  men  had  learned  ni.ir  lesson 
well,  and  no  act  was  committed  that 
would  serve  the  Piukertons  for  a  pre- 
text to  tire.  The  following  day,  the 
"Spokesman  Itevlew,"  of  Spokane, 
Wash.,  said  that  "the  expected  flght 
did  not  occur  In  the  Coeur  d'Alenes  on 
the  Fourth."  How  did  this  paper 
know  a  tight  was  expected  on  that 
day?  And  who  was  expecting  It? 
Certainly,  the  unions  were  not. 

It  was  discovered  by  the  union  that 
the  Piukertons  had  rations  laid  in  suffi- 
cient for  two  days.  Strong  breast- 
works were  thrown  up,  and  the  thugs 
were  certain  that  they  would  be  able 
to  hold  out  against  the  union  for  forty- 
eight  hours  after  the  conflict  was  be- 
gun. And  they  knew  also  that  the 
regulars  could  reach  them  in  that 
time. 

THE  PRETEXT  FOUND. 

For  six  days  more  the  Insults  con- 
tinued. Finally,  en  July  lo,  the  de- 
sired pretext  was  found.  As  R.  R. 
Williams  was  walking  up  the  railroad, 
he  was  accosted  by  a  IMnkerton  who 
told  him  that  he  could  uot  walk  on  that 
track.  Williams  replied  that  If  he  ithe 
Pinkcrton)  would  lay  down  his  gun  he 
would  match  lists  with  him.  The  man 
laid  his  gun  down  and  a  fight  ensued, 
after  which  the  Pinkerlon  waa  sent  lo 
the  hospital  for  repairs. 

This  was  made  a  pretext  for  opening 
fire.  It  was  noised  abroad  that  the  as- 
sociation had  ordered  Its  men  to  l>e- 
gin  action  on  the  following  morning. 
Miners  from  every  camp  gathered  at 
Gem,  diirlug  the  night,  all  of  them  pre- 
pared to  make  a  defense.  They  were 
ordered  by  the  union  "not  to  flre  flnit" 
under  penalty-  of  4eath,     "^  •very  man 


-s- 


knew  that  the  penalty  would   follow 
disobedieuce. 

THE  FIRST  SHOT. 

It  is  a  matter  of  court  i-ecord  that, 
early  oii  the  molning  of  July  11,  the 
Pinker  tons  fired  the  tirst  shot  and 
killed  an  unarmed  miner.  Immedyate- 
ly,  a  volley  was  poured  into  the 
miners'  ranks,  kilhng  four  and  wound- 
ing fourteen. 

Asa  in  were  the  capitn  lists  the  aggres- 
sors and  the  miners  on  the  defensive. 
But  this  time  it  was  a  fight  to  the 
finish. 

Tlie  union  men  hid  behind  the  rocks 
and  trees  and,  for  more  than  two 
ho\-rs,  poured  a  shower  of  shot  into  the 
old  mill  and  the  barracks.  The  Pin- 
kertons  stood  their  ground,  and  a 
genuine  battle  was  on.  It  was  evident 
that  tlie  guns  of  the  miners  wore  too 
light  for  the  breastworks  of  the  Pin- 
kerton  men,  and  that  they  must  find 
a  more  vulnerable  point  if  they  would 
win  the  victory  before  the  regulars  ar- 
rived. A  few  men  were  sent  out  to 
reconnoitre,  and  they  discovered  that 
no  guard  had  been  placed  at  the  pen- 
stock. The  firing  continued  from  both 
sidi\«!.  while  the  men  made  their  way 
up  {o  the  penstock.  They  turned  off 
the  water,  and  then  started  two  fifty- 
pound  boxes  of  dynamite  down  the 
shoct.  When  the  powder  went  down, 
the  mill  went  up,  and  the  Pinkertons 
and  non-union  men  rushed  from  the 
further  end  of  the  works,  each  with  a 
handkerchief  on  his  bayonet.  Thus 
flags  of  truce  could  be  seen  flying  in 
every  direction. 

The  victory  was  with  the  union,  and 
uncoT»ditional  surrender  was  the  order. 
Mr.  French  tells  us  that  "the  mine 
owners,  in  order  to  save  the  lives  of 
their  workmen,  surrendered  to  the 
mob."  Thoughtful,  indeed,  for  their 
workmen! 

The  arms  were  first  surrendered  to  a 
comu'ittee.  then  to  the  union  miners. 
The  hon-union  men  and  Pinkertons 
were  put  on  the  train  and  ordered  out 
of  the  country.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  the  orders  were  obeyed  instanter, 
and  "peace  reigned  in  Warsaw." 

But  from  every  direction  the  troops 
were  being  rushed  toward  the  scene  of 
battle.  Every  mine  in  the  Ca?ur 
d'Alenes  had  surrendered  except  the 
Bunker  Hill  &  Sullivan.  Less  than 
two  dnj»  i'emaiued  in  which  to  take 


this  last  fort  of  the  association.  A 
large  force  ,of  union  men  proceeded  to 
the  B.  H.  &  S.,  and  told  the  manage- 
ment what  had  happened  above,  and 
why  they  were  forced  to  act,  and  de- 
manded that  the  non-union  men  be  dis- 
charged and  sent  out  of  the  district  at 
once. 

In  less  than  two  hours,  150  non-union 
men  were  marching  down  the  railroad 
track  to  the  mission,  where  they  were 
to  take  passage  for  parts  unknown. 

The  "Spokesman  Ileview"  then 
came  out  with  all  the  horrible  stories 
of  midnight  murders  that  an  abnormal 
and  depraved  brain  could  conjure  up. 
The  public  was  told  that  the  union  men 
had  murdered  a  large  number  of  non- 
unionists,  had  torn  the  flesh  from  some 
of  the  bodies  and  hung  it  in  the  trees; 
that  they  had  burned  others,  and  that 
their  bones  were  yet  in  the  ash  piles; 
and  that  every  conceivable  outrage  had 
been  inflicted  upon  the  helpless. 

Public  indignation  was  aroused  by 
the  article,  and  a  committee  of  respon- 
sible m.en  was  appointed  by  the  citi- 
zens to  make  an  investigation.  The 
entire  story  was  proven  to  be  absolute- 
ly false.  The  fact  is  that  the  union 
men  did  not  go  d.  n  to  the  canyon 
either  upon  that  day  or  any  other,  but 
returned  to  Wallace  and  waited  for  the 
next  move  of  the  enemy. 

This  last  struggle  had  been  on  just 
six  months.  In  every  instance,  not 
only  during  this  contest,  but  also  dur- 
ing every  contest  since  1887,  the  asso- 
ciation had  been  the  aggressor  and  the 
union  had  been  on  the  defensive. 

During  these  six  months  the  union 
men  bore  their  hardships  and  indigni- 
ties courageously;  they  stood  by  their 
principles  manfully:  and  until  the  last, 
they  hoped  that  an  amicable  settle- 
ment mi^ht  be  reached.  The  battle 
was  forced  upon  them  and  when,  for 
the  first  time,  they  were  compelled  to 
show  their  power,  they  crushed  the 
hirelings  of  the  association  with  one 
blow,  and  drove  them  out  of  the  coun- 
try. 

Again,  there  can  be  no  question  as  to 
who  was  the  guilty  party. 

MARTIAL  LAW. 

Immediately  on  the  arrival  of  the 
troops,  the  State  and  Federal  authori- 
ties manifested  the  waost  revolting  par- 
tiality. 

AlajL'tijU  law  had  been  declared  Julj 


-0- 


12.  The  soldiers  nrrlved  July  in.  Mr. 
French  tells  us  that  "It  beeiuye  evl- 
't'Ut  that  Sheriir  Cimningham  and 
Marshals  Thomas  Argyle  and  .Tolin 
Stack,  lu-cause  they  were  elected  by 
the  miners,  were  unwilling  to  act."  and 
that  "(ieneral  Curtis  accordingly  re- 
moved them  from  ottlco.  and.  on  July 
15,  issued  the  following  order": 

He:ulq»inrtrr»  Idaho  Nutlouiil  Guard. 

Special  OnltT  No.  11 

Wallace.   Idaho.  July  15.  181)2. 

Dr.  r.  S.  Sims  of  Wallace.  Idaho,  Is  here- 
'  y  appointed  actlni;  Sheriff  of  the  County  of 
ihoalione.  State  of  blaho.  and  Ih  empowered 
with  all  the  authority  of  that  olHee,  under 
martial  law  now  In  force  In  said  county. 

Ily  order:  JAMKS  h\   (THTIS. 

Colonel  Idaho  National  Guards  Commaud- 
lug. 

Dr.  Slm.«;  was  the  physician  emplo.ved 
by  the  Mine  Owners'  Association.  He 
was  very  willing  to  act. 

Immediately,  more  than  500  men 
were  arrested  and  thrown  into  the  Bull 
Pens,  one  at  Kellog  and  tlie  other  at 
Wallace,  and  thus  the  union  wasflgaln 
on  the  defensive.  The  members  of 
the  Mine  Owners'  Association  went 
scot  free  and  directed  the  actions  of 
the  military  ofticers— and  thus,  again, 
were  they  the  aggres.<5ors. 

All  the  non-union  men  who  had  been 
•'murdered"  In  the  canyon  on  the 
Fourth  of  July,  and  "whose  bones 
were  bleaching  on  the  ash  piles."  were 
at  once  herded  together  and  set  to 
work  again  at  the  Bunker  Hill  &  Sulli- 
van mine. 

Remember  that  no  trials  had  yet 
been  held  and  the  olficers  were  already 
passing  judgment.  The  reason  given 
for  removing  Sheriff  Cunningham  was 
that  he  was  unwilling  to  act.  But  It  Is 
a.sserted  by  resi)onslble  men  of  Wal- 
lace, who  were  on  the  ground  at  the 
time,  that  Cunningham  was  willing 
and  anxious  to  act.  It  Is  possible  that 
both  of  these  statements  were  true. 
It  might  be  that  he  was  willing  to  ar- 
rest the  very  men  whom  the  army 
ofllcers  did  not  wish  to  have  arrested— 
the  really  guilty  men;  and  it  Is  certain 
that  those  whom  they  wished  him  to 
arrest  were  Uuiocent. 

In  looking  Uito  this  matter,  we  must 
consider  what  became  of  tlie  r>()0  men 
who  were  In  the  Bull  Pens.  In  doing 
this,  we  must  remember  that  the  State 
orticials,  the  army  officers,  an«l  county 
othcials  were  all  willing  to'  arrest  the 
members  of  the  Miners'  Union,  for  the 


unwlllingr  ofllclnls  had  all  been  dis- 
missed. 

It  is  also  claimed,  and  the  following 
facts  seem  to  warrant  the  statement, 
that  the  Judges  and  Juries  had  been 
carefully  h»oked  after. 

Tlie  fiiiJt  eviden<e  that  the  offlcTS 
had  been  looked  after  appears  in  the 
fact  that,  of  the  r»00  men  who  had  been 
arrested,  some  were  i-eleased  on  parole, 
some  on  bonds,  and  about  75  were  held 
for  two  months -against  most  of  whom 
no  charges  had  been  preferred. 

Another  evidence  is  that,  of  all  thf)BO 
who  were  tried,  only  sixteen  were  con- 
victed—and those  were  convicted  of 
contempt  of  court.  They  would  not 
refrain  from  moral  suasion.  They 
were  sentenced  to  serve  for  from  six 
months  to  two  years  in  prison. 

A  strange  crime  Is  moral  sua.«lon! 

And  still  another  evidence  that  the 
Judges  and  Juries  were  "fixed."  and 
that  the  Sherifl'  and  other  officials  were 
appointed  for  a  purimse  appears  in  the 
fact  that  the  decisions  were  all  re- 
versed and  every  man  was  pronounced 
innocent  and  released  by  the  United 
States  Sui)reme  Court. 

The  most  remarkable  thing  Is  that 
the  court  martial  outfit  did  not  arrest 
the  Judge  of  the  United  States  Court 
for  contempt  of  court.  There  could  be 
no  doubt  of  his  supreme  contempt. 

A  further  evidence  that  the  officers 
were  all  nxed  and  that  they  were  all 
"willing"  appeai-s  in  the  fact  that  all 
the  members  of  the  Mine  Owners'  Pro- 
tective A.ssociatlon  were  known  to  be 
guilty  of  breaking  the  penal  code,  and 
yet  not  one  was  arrested. 

An  act  of  the  Idaho  State  Legisla- 
ture, approved  January  20.  1S91,  to  en- 
force Section  G  of  Article  14  of  the 
State  Constitution,  provides,  "that  any 
association,  corporation,  or  company, 
which  shall  bring  or  aid  In  bringing 
Into  this  State  any  armed  or  unarmed 
force  for  the  purpose  of  the  suppres- 
sion of  domestic  violence,  shall  be 
guilty  of  a  felony." 

This  association  had  aided  in  bring- 
ing in  the  Pinkerton  armed  force. 
Why  were  its  members  not  arrested? 
The  proof  of  their  guilt  was  all  at 
hand.  The  evidence  was  uncontro- 
vertible. 

It  was  these  very  men  whom  Sheriff 
Cunningham  was  willing  and  anxious 
to  arrest,  and  whom  the  newly 
appointed    officials    were    anxioun    to 


.-10- 


Bhield.  It  was  the  miners  who 
were  believed  by  the  commuuity 
to  be  innocent,  and  who  have  since 
established  their  innocence  before  the 
highest  court  in  the  land,  whom  Cun- 
ningham was  unwilling  to  arrest. 

Sheriff  Cunningham  was,  therefore, 
removed  from  office,  not  only  becauso 
he  was  unwilling  to  arrest  the  inno- 
cent, but  because  he  was  willing  to  ar- 
rest the  guilty.  He  was  willing  and 
anxious  to  arrest  the  mine  owners  for 
bringing  an  armed  force  into  the  State 
and  inciting  them  to  murder.  But  in 
the  eyes  of  the  court  martial  outfit  the 
association  was  sacred. 

THE  POLITICAL  SIDE. 

This  most  corrupt  and  culpable  mar- 
tial law  association  outfit  held  full 
sway  until  after  the  fall  elections  of 
1892.  Life  was  made  a  burden  to  union 
men.  The  commissaries  were  prohibit- 
ed. Nou-union  men  were  imported  in 
car-load  lots.  Only  in  necessary  in- 
stances would  the  mine  owners  employ 
union  men.  And  thus,  by  election 
time,  they  had  driven  out  so  many  of 
the  old  miners  that  the  Republican 
party  carried  the  day. 

But  why  should  the  association 
manifest  such  interest  in  the  election? 

There  wei*e  two  most  excellent  rea- 
sons: First,  they  wanted  a  Sheriff  who 
was  willing  to  do  their  bidding;  sec- 
ond, they  wanted  also  an  Assessor  who 
would  assist  them  in  breaking  the  law 
in  other  respects.  Mr.  French  says 
that  the  property  of  the  mine  owners 
was  valued  at  $10,500,000,  and  that  it 
was  assessed  at  $1,350,000.  The  inter- 
est of  the  mine  owners  in  the  election 
of  Assessor  is  easily  understood! 

It  was  their  insatiable  greed  that 
guided  their  every  action.  Thus  it  was 
that  the  mine  owners  entered  politics 
as  an  association  and  became  the  ag- 


gressors, and  from  that  time  on  the 
union  also  entered  politics  and  was  oa       f 
the  defensive. 

As  between  the  miners  and  the  asso- 
ciation, independent  of  all  outside  in- 
fluence, the  victory  was  easily  with  the 
union.  In  every  instance,  from  the 
first  effort  to  reduce  wages  made  by 
the  B.  H.  &  S.  down  to  the  last  battle 
forced  by  the  Pinlvertons,  the  mine 
owners  were  guilty  of  malcing  every 
attack,  but  were  easily  repelled  by  the 
union.  When  the  final  great  battle  was 
fought  and  the  victory  won  by  the 
miners,  the  powers  that  ruled  were  not 
content  The  military  power  of  the 
State  and  Nation  was  mobilized  for  the 
purpose  both  of  furthering  sordid  poli- 
tical ends  and  of  protecting  legalized 
property  privileges. 

Through  the  influence  of  the  enor- 
mous capital  in  the  hands  of  the  asso- 
ciation, property  privileges  were  mag- 
nified and  the  value  of  human  life  and 
human  rights  was  minimized.  By  the 
same  influence  the  hand  of  justice  in 
the  0|pur  d'Alenes  was  paralyzed,  per- 
secution of  the  innocent  ran  rife,  and 
the  guilty  went  free. 

And  yet,  with  all  the  Federal  and 
State  troops,  with  all  the  corrupt  offi- 
cials, with  all  the  enormous  wealth  of 
the  association,  with  the  car-loads  of 
non-union  men,  there  were  still  no  divi- 
dends. The  imported  men  could  not 
operate  the  mines.  The  mine  owners, 
after  months  of  persistent  effort  to 
train  the  new  men,  gave  up  in  dispair, 
and  discharged  them.  They  were  again 
compelled  to  employ  all  the  old  Coeur 
d'Alene  men  who  made  application. 

Thus,  in  1893,  within  eighteen 
months  after  martial  law  was  declared, 
every  camp  except  the  B.  H.  &  S.  was 
again  under  union  control.  The  first 
great  battle  was  over.  The  union  was 
victorious.    But  the  war  was  still  on. 


CHAPTER  III. 


It  will  be  remembered  that  Bradley 
of  the  Bunker  Hill  &  Sullivan,  Esler  of 
the  Frisco,  and  Campbell  of  the  Stand- 
ard mines  were  the  men  who  deter- 
mined the  policy  of  the  Mine  Owners' 
Association  toward  the  Miners'  Union 
in  1892.  The  same  companies  have 
been  most  prominent  during  the  diffi- 
culty of  1899  and  in  all  the  intervening 
troubles.  Shortly  after  the  '92  lockout, 
the    Frisco    put    in    a    new    manager 


named  Joe  McDonald,  and  later  on  the 
B.  H.  &  S.  follov/ed  by  putting  the 
reins  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Burbage. 

Both  of  these  men  were  entirely  de- 
void of  conscience,  and  the  former  was 
both  a  thorough  mining  man  and  an 
exceedingly  cunning  and  adroit  gen- 
eral. It  is  about  these  two  men,  to- 
gether with  Mr.  Whitney  of  the  B.  H. 
&  S.  and  Campbell  and  French  of  the 
Standard,  that  the  web  of  facts  con- 


-11- 


cprnlng  the  troubles  since  1.S93  Is 
woven.  In  snrvoyins;  tho  battle  field 
of  1892,  the  grave  bhmders  made  by 
the  association  were  plain  td  be  seen. 
They  had  attacked  the  $3.50  rate  of 
wnfjes  vrhlle  their  own  reports  showed 
that  the  mines  were  declarlni?  enor- 
mous dividends.  They  had  failed  to 
alienate  the  sympathy  of  the  public 
from  the  Miners' TTnlon  and  thereby  had 
left  open  the  only  resource  from  which 
the  miners  could  draw  supplies  in  their 
hour  of  need.  They  had  intensified 
this  sympathy  by  enjoining  the  men 
from  uslnif  moral  suasion.  They  had 
still  further  aroused  the  public  sym- 
pathy and  thereby  Increased  the 
miners*  resources,  by  Importing  Into 
the  State  an  armed  force  of  Plnkerton 
men.  against  whom  there  was  already 
a  determined  protest  in  every  State. 
They  had  boldly  taken  the  aggressive, 
instead  of  throwing  the  miners  in  a 
l)Osltlon  where  they  would  appear  as 
the  aggressors.  And  by  these  blunders 
they  had  developed  the  union  into  such 
a  power  that  they  themselves  were 
compelled  to  surrender. 

It  became  evident  that  If  the  mine 
owners  were  ever  to  succeed  In  reduc- 
ing the  miners'  wages,  they  must  first 
destroy  the  sympathy  between  the  pub- 
lic and  the  Miners'  Union,  and  draw 
the  miners  into  such  a  position  that 
they  would  appear  to  be  on  the  aggres- 
sive Instead  of  the  defensive.  Then 
they  might  attack  and  destroy  the 
union  because  of  its  alleged  miscon- 
duct, while  the  wages  question  should 
carefully  be  kept  in  the  background, 
to  be  settled  when  the  union  was  de- 
stroyed. 

With  what  adroitness  and  skill  the 
plans  were  laid  and  executed  will  ap- 
pear only  in  part  in  the  following 
facts. 

While  all  the  other  companies  had 
surrendered  to  the  union  and  were 
paying  the  $3. ."SO  scale,  It  was  agreed 
among  tho  members  of  the  association 
that  the  B.  U.  &  S.  should  not  sur- 
render on  this  point,  nor  should  that 
company  even  recognize  the  union. 
Thus  It  was  certain  that  this  mine 
would  become  an  eye.sore  to  the  union. 
\nd  the  mine  owners  constantly  Irri- 
•ated  It.  by  Insisting  that  the  miners 
hould  unionize  the  B.  IT.  S:,  S.  and 
<  <<nipel  It  to  pay  the  $3.50  scale,  or 
else  permit  a  reduction  In  all  the  other 
mines.  The  B.  II.  &  S.  was  also  dlll- 
fi^ent,  dnd  seized  upon  every  opportun- 


ity, legitimate  ann  otherwise,  to  aggra- 
vate this  111  feeling. 

One  Instance  arose  when  In  1804, 
the  owners  of  the  B.  H.  &  S.  no- 
tified their  men  that  there  would  be 
a  still  further  reduction  In  wages,  al- 
though they  were  already  paying  less 
than  the  union  scale.  They  shut  down, 
they  said,  for  the  purpose  of  permitting 
the  men  to  vote  upon  the  proposition 
of  accepting  $2..^  and  $3  a  day.  They 
stated  that.  If  this  proposition  was  re- 
jected, the  mine  would  remain  shut 
down  Indefinitely. 

The  proposition  was  unanimously 
voted  down  by  the  miners.  Neverthe- 
less, on  the  following  day  the  mine 
opened  up  as  usual  and  paid  the  same 
scale  which  it  had  been  paying. 

This  falsehood  could  only  increase 
the  contempt  which  the  men  already 
entertained  for  the  company  and  was 
a  further  evidence  that  the  company's 
word  was  not  to  be  depended  upon. 
ELECTION  OF  1894. 

Again,  when  the  elections  of  1894 
came  on,  the  company  posted  notices  to 
the  effect  that  if  the  labor  candidate, 
Eugene  Sage,  was  elected,  the  B.  H.  &, 
S.  would  shut  down  Indefinitely.  In 
this  culpable  manner,  the  company  en- 
deavorcfl  to  buy  the  votes  of  their  men. 
But  the  men  were  loyal  and  every  can- 
didate on  the  labor  ticket  was  elected. 
The  mine  continued  operations,  and 
the  miners  certainly  continued  to  grow 
in  contempt  for  the  company. 

During  the  same  year,  there  occurred 
a  cave-In  at  the  B.  H.  &  S..  resulting  in 
the  death  of  three  men.  The  coroner's 
jury  found  that  the  deaths  were  caused 
by  a  cave-in  resulting  from  the  care- 
lessness of  the  othcers  of  the  B.  H.  & 
S.  Co. 

At  this  time  the  men  signed  a  peti- 
tion to  the  Governor,  requesting  that 
the  Mine  Inspector  be  compelled  to  do 
his  duty.  But  the  Governor  Immedi- 
ately .sent  the  petition  to  the  company, 
and  at  once  the  company  discharged 
every  man  who  had  signed  It.  Their 
places  were  filled  by  lm|>orted  non- 
union men.  Such  was  the  redress  they 
received. 

This  method  of  attack  continued  un- 
til .N'ovember  22.  when  silent  contempt 
for  the  company  ceased  to  be  a  virtue, 
and  the  miners  called  a  mass  meeting 
and  deman«led:  First,  that  the  B.  H. 
&  S.  should  not  discriminate  against 
organized  labor;  second,  that  the  men 
now  in  the  Coeur  d'Aleues  should  b« 


*-12- 


given  preference  in  employment;  third, 
that  no  man  should  be  imported  while 
there  was  an  oversupply  at  hand.  The 
employers  replied  that  they  proposed 
to  operate  their  mine  in  the  future  as 
they  had  in  the  past. 

The  miners  then  put  the  following 
question  to  Mr.  Bradley,  the  spokes- 
man of  the  company:  "Are  you  aw^are 
that  members  of  your  company,  con- 
trary to  their  agreement  with  the  K. 
of  L,,  have  w^ritten  East  for  miners, 
to  come  and  take  the  places  of  men 
now  employed,  at  a  lower  wage  than 
was  agreed  upon?"  Mr.  Bradley  an- 
swered:   "NO." 

But  men  who  had  been  imported  on 
contract  to  work  for  less  than  current 
wages  rose  and  testified  to  the  fact, 
and  a  letter  to  that  effect,  over "  Mr. 
Bradley's  own  signature,  was  handed 
to  him  and  he  was  made  to  read  it 
aloud.  Then,  amidst  the  jeers  of  four 
hundred  men,  he  was  permitted  to  re- 
tire, despised  by  them  all. 

The  company  then  decided  upon  a 
lockout,  and  the  mill  and  mine  were 
shut  down  at  once.  This  also  was  done 
in  the  dead  of  winter;  but  this  time 
only  one  mine  was  involveil,  and  the 
funds  in  the  treasury  of  the  local  Fede- 
ration were  sufficient  to  provide  for 
the  men  who  were  out.  The  fight 
lasted  for  almost  five  months.  During 
all  this  time  the  other  mine  owners 
constantly  expressed  contempt  for  the 
B.  H.  &  S.,  and  thereby  encouraged 
the  miners  in  their  Ac-lon.  Yet  the 
association,  B.  H.  &  S.  included,  w^as 
holding  secret  meetings  and  improving 
every  opportunity  which  would  tend  to 
lead  the  men  into  some  unwise  action. 
But  wise  counsels  prevailed  in  the 
union  and  peaceful  methods  alone  were 
employed. 

At  this  time  a  wave  of  religious  war- 
fare was  sweeping  over  the  country, 
and  the  A.  P.  A.  was  springing  up  in 
every  vicinity.  Mr.  Bradley  seized 
upon  this  opportunity,  and  succeeded 
in  persuading  a  few  A.  P.  A.  merchants 
to  circulate  the  following  petition, 
which  Mr.  Bradley  himself  wrote: 

"We,  the  undersigned  ci^ir.ens  of 
Wardner  and  Kellogg,  in  consideration 
of  the  extremely  low  prices  of  lead  and 
fiilver  ruling,  and  in  further  considera- 
tion of  the  fact  that  the  cost  of  living 
has  decreased,  believe  that  while  these 
low  prices  continue,  $S  a  day  for 
miners  and  ^2.50  a  day  for.  laborers 


is  a  reasonable  wage,  and  we  '*\ 
further  believe  that  the  Bunker  Hill  & 
Sullivan  Mining  and  Concentrating 
Company  has  the  same  right  to  man- 
age its  own  affairs  as  we  have  to  man- 
age ours,  and  we  hereby  pledge  the 
Company  our  cordial  support  in  its  de- 
termination to  pay  no  higher  wages 
while  the  prices  of  lead  and  silver  are 
so  iow,  it  being  understood  that  the 
said  Company  will  restore  wages  to 
the  former  basis  of  $3.50  and  $3,  when- 
ever the  prices  of  lead  and  silver  ad- 
vance so  that  the  combined  value  in 
New  York  of  100  pounds  of  lead  and 
21/4  ounces  of  silver  is  not  less  than 
$6.00" 

At  the  time  the  mine  shut  down,  the 
company  was  still  declaring  dividends 
of  more  than  $60,000  a  month.  They  ' 
set  the  prices  of  lead  and  silver  so 
high,  in  this  so-called  petition,  defining 
the  conditions  under  which  wages 
would  be  increased,  that  they  them- 
selves knew  that  the  prices  would 
probably  never  be  reached  and 
they  could  never,  under  this  agree- 
ment, be  called  upon  to  restore  wages. 
Though  the  mine  employs,  when  in  full 
force,  almost  500  men,  yet  their  own 
report  concerning  the  labor  troubles 
shows  (page  25)  that  only  201  men  In 
Wardner,  Kellogg,  and  all  the  su;» 
rounding  country,  could  be  induced  j* 
sign  this  document. 

Nevertheless,  the  A.  P.  A.s  signed 
unanimously,  and  in  return  for  this 
favor  the  association  agreed  to  employ 
only  such  men  as  that  organization 
should  recommend.  In  this  way  they 
hoped  both  to  reduce  wages  and  to 
develop  a  feeling  which  would  disrupt 
the  ranks  of  the  union. 

The  reduction  of  wages  was  accom- 
plished and  for  a  time  it  seemed  alto- 
gether probable  that  the  bosses  would 
succeed  in  disrupting  the  labor  organi- 
zations. The  mine  owners  were  all 
diligently  adding  fuel  to  the  flame,  but 
with  only  temporary  effect.  By 
fomenting  thfe  religious  strife,  the 
mine  owners  thought  they  would  sure- 
ly be  able  to  control  the  coming  elec- 
tions in  the  fall  of  1896. 

But  the  event  of  the  elections  in  this 
district  was  just  the  reverse  of  what 
the  companies  hoped  for  and  of  what 
happened  in  other  parts  of  the  coun- 
try. These  men  had  been  voting  to- 
gether for  years,  and  the  political  con- 
flict brought  to  lijght  the  plot  laid  by 


13- 


the  mine  owners.  1  he  result  was  that, 
lu  the  fall  of  1896,  the  men  refused  to 
permit  a  false  prejudice  to  divide  them 
in  the  political  lield.  and  they  aeeord- 
injjly  tabled  all  reli;;lous  discussion  and 
never  apiin  took  it  up.  It  Is  needless 
to  say  tliut  the  lal)or  ticket  was  again 

S  elected  by  an  overwhelming  majority, 
nid  the  war  was  continued  at  Bunker 
nil. 

During  all  this  time,  the  association 
;.>)t  only  stood  ready  to  support  the  B. 

f      H.  &  S.  In  any  emergency,  but  it  was 

'  diligent  In  keeping  itself  informed  as 
to  the  inside  workings  of  the  Miners' 
I'nign.  and  also  in  employing  every 
opportunity  to  destroy  that  fraternal 
sympathy  which  existed  between  the 
utside  public  and  the  Ca?ur  d'Alene 
liners'  Union. 

The  capitalists  remembered  the  great 
advantage  they  had  obtained  in  the 
battle  of  1892,  by  placing  their  detec- 
tive Allison  in  the  union  and  securing 
through  him  all  the  union's  minutes 
and  a  knowledge  of  all  its  acts. 

So  also  did  the  association  keep 
numerous  '"spotters"  in  the  labor  or- 
ganizations during  these  years,  who 
supplied  them  with  a  knowlt^dge  of 
every  Important  act.  This  the  associa- 
tion waa  able  to  do  by  employing  non- 
union men.  who  were  always  visitod 
by  a  con)mittee  from  the  union,  whose 
duty  it  wa.s  to  explain  the  ^tuation  and 
Invite  them  to  join  the  organization. 
One  month  was  jijways  given  eat^  man 
in  which  to  consider  and  then  he  was 
<  urged  to  act.  Among  these  non-union 
men  were  to  be  found  a  few  tools  of 
the  assoi'iation.  who  had  been  selected 
and  employed  for  the  express  purpose 

•  of  acting  as  detectives.  These  would 
enter  with  the  rest  and  thus  the  asso- 
ciation was  able  to  keep  itself  informtnl 

J  as  to  who  were  the  ofBoers  of  the 
union,  who  were  on  the  Executive 
Committee,  who  were  most  active  in 
opposing  the  association,  and  what  was 
to  be  the  Important  move  of  the 
future. 

In  my  con vei*sat ions  with  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald and  Mr.  Burbag-'  they  both 
strenuously  denied  this  fact  and  in- 
sisted that,  though  they  tried  it.  tlu'y 
were  unable  to  gain  an  entrance  into 
the  union  in  the  manner  defKMil>ed  or 
In  any  other  way.  since  the  union  had 
been  on  its  guard  since  189'2  and  re- 
fused to  take  In  the  new  men.  The 
reason  they  deny  this  fact  is  that,  if 
they  were  known  to  have  had  spies  In 


the  union,  they  would  have  been  un- 
able to  make  it  appear  that  the  union 
was  guilty  of  conspiracy,  without  at 
the  same  time  showing  that  they  them- 
si'lves  knew  the  fact  in  sutMclent  time 
to  have  prevented  the  Impending 
calamity.  But  if  the  reader  will  secure 
the  pami)hlet  which  the  association  has 
been  circulating  since  the  troubles  of 
April  20,  1890,  he  will  tind  (pages  11 
and  12)  that,  "in  1804,  the  unk)n  sub- 
mitted a  list  of  23  names  of  men  em- 
ployed in  the  Frisco  and  Gem  mines 
whom  thej'  wished  discharged  because 
they  would  not  join  the  union." 
And  also  (page  35)  the  pamphlet  states 
that,  in  the  year  1808,  "the  new  men 
joined  the  union  through  fear."  Thus 
Messrs.  McDonald  and  Burbage  are 
proven  by  their  own  printed  author- 
ity, to  be  making  maliciously  false 
statements  for  publication.  Thus  this 
avenue  is  confessed  to  have  been  open 
through  which  they  could  and  did  gain 
entrance  for  their  tools.  During  the 
years  immediately  following  1802,  It 
was  the  policy  of  the  union,  as  shown 
(pages  11  and  12)  in  the  above-men- 
tioned pamphlet,  to  request  the  com- 
pany to  discharge,  not  only  the  non- 
union men,  but  also  the  spies  who  were 
in  the  union  and  acting  for  the  jvssocia- 
tion.  The  association  complied  with 
this  request,  but  in  the  meantime  the 
traitors  had  supplied  them  with  the 
names  of  the  men  who  were  brave 
enough  to  openly  advocate  the  nieas- 
ure.  These  courageous  men  were  soon 
informed  that  their  services  were  no 
longer  needed,  and  thus  the  association 
was  gradually  cutting  off  the  leaders 
of  the  union  and  intimidating  the  rest 
of  the  members. 

HOW  MINE  OWNERS  FORCED  RETALIATION. 

These  facts  gave  rise  to  a  new  means 
of  defense— a  stH.-ret  detective  system 
within  the  union.  The  actions  of  these 
men  were  kept  absolutely  to  them- 
selves, and  whenever  it  was  learned 
who  was  acting  in  that  capacit}-  he 
was  at  once  prohibited  from  so  serving, 
at  the  risk  of  losing  his  position.  The 
reason  for  this  great  secrecy  was  the 
fact  that  spies  would  reveal  every  act. 
From  this  time  on.  whenever  a  traitor 
was  discovered  or  a  newly  employed 
man  refn.sed  to  join  the  union,  he  was 
told  to  leave  the  camp.  He  was  given 
time  to  act.  and  If  he  failed  the.se  un- 
known,  union  detectives  would  don 
their  masks  and  shoulder  their  g""§ 


-M-. 


and  proceed  to  his  place,  take  him  out, 
march  him  down  the  canyon,  and  give 
him  orders  to  leave,  which  he  never 
forgot  or  disobeyed. 

Does  this  seem  too  severe?  It  was 
again  only  a  defensive  measure.  Had 
the  miners  not  taken  this  means  of  de- 
fense the  bosses  would  have  gradually 
replaced  all  strong  union  men  with 
non-union  men,  and  then  they  would 
have  lowered  the  wages. 

The  mine  owners  persisted  in  em- 
ploying non-union  men  to  such  an  ex-, 
tend  that  the  union  detectives  were 
compelled  to  run  some  one  out  every 
few  weeks. 

This  method,  however,  supplied  the 
means  by  which  public  sympathy  with 
the  union  was  for  the  most  part  de- 
stroyed and  the  union's  greatest  re- 
source and  protection  in  the  time  of 
strife  was  largely  cut  off.  Whenever  a 
man  was  run  out  of  the  canyon,  the 
''Spokesman  -  Review"  of  Spokane, 
which  is  owned  largely  by  Campbell 
and  Finch,  gave  extensive  publication 
to  the  occurrence,  falsifying  the  details 
and  grossly  exaggerating  the  facts,  as 
it  had  done  in  the  case  of  the  Fourth 
of  July  affair.  This  notorious  paper 
would  lead  the  public  to  believe  that 
the  men  were  frequently  beaten  and 
robbed  and  many  of  them  murdered. 
At  the  same  time,  it  Would  laud  the 
members  of  the  association  and  make 
every  effort  to  create  a  public  sym- 
pathy for  the  mine  owners  by  falsely 
representing  that  they  were  courage- 
ously conducting  their  business  in  spite 
of  a  band  of  desperadoes  and  cut- 
throats. The  fact  is  that  few  were 
beaten,  none  were  robbed,  and,  of  all 
the  cases  in  which  either  this  secret 
detective  force,  or  the  union,  was  sup- 
posed to  have  taken  an  active  part, 
only  one  man  was  killed.  This  man 
was  proven  to  have  been  a  traitor. 
The  mine  owners,  in  their  pamphlet 
(page  8),  state  that  "he  was  the  first 
witness  for  the  prosecution  in  1892," 
and  since  that  time  he  had  been  proven 
to  have  betrayed  the  union  to  the  as- 
sociation on  several  occasions.  On 
page  12  of  the  same  pamphlet,  they  say 
he  had  been  warned  and  the  mine  own- 
ers' journal  ha-d  urged  him  to  defy  the 
order.  Yet  they  confess  that  this  mur- 
der was  not  premeditated,  for  they  say 
(page  16)  that  "this  foul  murder  must 
have  disaiTanged  the  plans  of  the 
masked  men.  for  they  desisted  from 


any  further  effort  to  find  all  the  men 
for  whom  they  were  in  search." 

The  fact  is  that  he  was  told  of  what 
he  had  done  and  that  he  must  leave. 
He  refused  to  obey.  He  took  a  cabin, 
bought  guns  and  revolvers,  and  he  and 
his  partner  defied  the  men,  and  threat- 
ened the  life  of  any  one  who  came. 
He  was  a  courageous  and  desperate 
character— one  of  the  kind  usually 
chosen  to  act  as  traitors— and  the 
miners  well  knew  that  if  the  oppor- 
tunity afforded,  he  would  execute  his 
threat.  That  bloodshed  might  be 
avoided,  the  secret  detective  force, 
whose  names  were  not  known  to  the 
union,  went  masked  and  armed  in  the 
middle  of  the  day  and  took  him  by 
surprise  while  he  was  at  work.  They 
made  their  demand.  He  refused, 
jumped  through  the  window,  and 
started  to  run  for  his  gun,  which  was 
in  his  cabin.  The  men  knew  what  was 
coming  and  called  for  him  to  halt.  He 
refused,  and  they  fired.  But  the  mur- 
der was  not  premeditated,  for  "it  dis- 
arranged their  plans."  Whatever  ex- 
tenuating circumstances  there  may  be, 
this  most  unfortunate  murder  cannot 
be  justified,  and  the  union  would  have 
punished  the  guilty,  had  they  been  able 
to  determine  who  they  were.  The 
Sheriff  could  find  no  one  who  could 
swear  to  their  identity,  and  the  Grand 
Jury  was  also  at  sea.  The  union  was 
undoubtedly  anxious  to  have  the  man 
run  out.  But  the  worst  punishment 
which  they  ever  endorsed,  and  that 
only  in  extreme  cases,  was  a  flogging. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  methods  em- 
ployed by  the  association,  which  forced 
the  union  into  such  a  position  that  a 
secret  detective  force  in  the  union  was 
absolutely  necessary,  the  probability  is 
that  the  murder  would  not  have  oc- 
curred; and,  even  if  it  had  occurred, 
the  union  would  have  been  in  a  posi- 
tion to  have  punished  the  guilty. 

This  circumstance  furnished  an  op- 
portunity for  the  "Spokesman-Review" 
to  rehearse  many  of  the  previous 
events  and  to  misrepresent  all  of  them 
and  magnify  them  into  the  most  hein- 
ous crimes,  of  which  only  "midnight 
assassins,"  "desperadoes,"  and  "cut- 
throats" could  be  guilty.  At  the  same 
time  it  carefully  shielded  the  associa- 
tion from  all  blame.  But  it  did  not 
stop  at  this.  Often  men  would  leave 
the  canyon  of  their  own  free  will,  with- 
out any  grievance  having  been  at  any 


r-15- 


time  Inflmatod  ftp:alnst  thorn,  and  yet 
Ions  storlos  would  run  through  the 
columns  of  this  mine  owners'  paper, 
ropresontlnp  the  man  to  have  been  nm 
out.  and  beaten  In  a  shameful  manner, 
and  robbed  of  all  his  possessions. 
When  the  facts  to  the  contrary  were 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  editor, 
not  a  word  of  correction  would  appear. 
This  was  continued  even  after  the 
trouble  of  April  29,  1S09,  as  the  follow- 
ing affidavit  will  show: 

The  State  of  Idaho, 
County  of  Silver  Bow,  ss. 
Ellis  TInle.  belnc  first  duly  sworn,  deposes 
and  snys:  Thnt  he  has  read  that  certain 
article  entitled  "Heisn  of  Terror  Begun 
Anew  Up  Canyon  Creek,"  printed  In  the 
Sunday  (July  9)  Issue  of  the  "Spokesman- 
Review":  that  he  has  read  the  following 
Btatement   In  said  article,  to  wit: 

•ELLIS  HALE  ALSO  LEFT. 
"Meanwhile  ft  gang  had  met  Ellis  Hale 
just  below  Burke  and  after  steallnff  his 
tools  had  warned  him  to  leave  on  fear  of 
being  'kneeboned.*  Hale  needed  no  second 
Invitation,  but  took  the  train  for  Montana 
this  morning.  He  was  one  of  the  best  me- 
chanics up  the  canyon  and  was  formerly 
employed  at  the  Goin.  Charles  Sweeney  of 
the  Tlger-Poorman  had  ofTored  him  a  place 
over  the  pumps,  there,  and  late  last  night 
Hale  with  a  little  kit  of  tools  started  up 
for  Burke  from  Gem.  He  was  Just  on  the 
borders  of  the  town  when  a  gang  of  20  or 
SO  men  surrounded  him. 

"What  happened  may  never  be  known. 
The  story  believed  here  Is  that  they  threat- 
ened Hale  that  unless  he  quit  his  new  Job 
bis  famllv  would  first  be  killed  and  he 
would  be  'kneeboned'  afterwards.  That  he 
denied,  and  one  man  who  saw  him  after- 
wards is  quoted  OB  saying  that  the  crowd 
was  made  up  of  friends  of  Hale  who  took 
that  time  and  place  to  argue  peacefully 
with  him.  At  ftuy  rate  the  friends'  stole 
his  tools  forcibly  and  warned  him  to  get 
out.     This  morning  he    'got'." 

Affiant  further  says,  that  he  Is  the  Ellis 
Hale  referred  to  In  this  article:  that  the 
Btatement  there  made  that  Ills  tools  had 
been  stolen,  and  tliat  he  had  been  warned 
to  leave  on  threats  of  being  "kneelioned," 
and  the  further  statement  made  In  said  ar- 
ticle, and  in  the  matter  above  set  forth, 
that  masked  deperadoes  had  warned  this 
affiant  to  leave  said  locality  because  he  was 
about  to  go  to  work  in  one  of  the  mines,  Is 
t  base  and  unqualified   He. 

Affiant  further  says,  that  he  left  the  Cneur 
d'Alenes  because  he  thought  that  no  free 
American  cltlxen  ought  to  be  axked  to  first 
obtain  a  permit  before  he  could  have  the 
privilege  of  earning  a  livelihood  by  honest 
toll,  and  that  he  left  for  no  other  reni«')n. 
ELLIS  HALE. 
Siibsorlbed  and  sworn  tn  before  me,  this 
lOih  day  of  July,  A.  D.  ISOO. 


Notary  Public  In  and  for  Silver  Bow 
County,  State  of  Montana. 

The  Mine  Owners'  Association  did 
not  stop  at  these  misrepresentations. 
The  capitalist.s  themselves  took  a  hand 
in  the  running-out  business  and  then, 
by  means  of  their  paper,  cast  the 
odium  upon  the  union  and  made  the 
crime  appear  to  the  public  to  be  as 
black  as  were  the  dungeons  of  their 
own  hearts,  where  their  own  criminal 
Bchemes  found  concealment. 

RECORD  OF  BURBAGE  AND  McOONALD. 

Is  it  possible  that  these  prominent 
business  men  were  capable  of  such 
criminal  conspiracies?  That  the  reader 
may  entertain  no  doubt  on  this  ques- 
tion, it  will  suffice  to  relate  two  facts. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  Burbage 
was  put  in  as  manager  of  the  Bunker 
Hill  &  Sullivan  in  1892,  and  that  Mc- 
Donald took  the  reins  of  the  Frisco  at 
the  same  time.  In  1894,  it  was  only 
through  the  leniency  of  the  judge  that 
Mr.  Burbage  escaped  criminal  prosecu- 
tion for  perjury,  having  falsely  sworn 
that  he  was  a  United  States  citizen  in 
order  to  vote.  Again,  I  have  in  my 
po.ssession  an  affidavit  which  states 
that,  in  the  year  1879,  Mr.  Hamilton 
and  Mr.  Gol3f  owned  a  mining  claim  ad- 
joining the  large  Jupiter  mine  at  Bodle, 
California.  This  claim  was  thought  to 
be  a  rich  one.  The  company  desired 
to  buy  It,  but  the  owners  refused  to 
sell.  Joseph  McDonald  was  at  the  time 
working  for  this  company,  and  he, 
with  six  other  men,  wei^t  to  the  cabin 
occupied  by  Hamilton  and  Goff,  and 
shot  timl  killed  Goff;  Hamilton  escaped. 
McDonald  was  beHeved  by  all  to  be 
the  loader.  He  with  the  rest  were  run 
out  of  the  camp,  and  tliey  all  promised 
never  to  return  to  that  State  nor  ever 
to  operate  la  the  State  of  Nevada. 

With  the  character  of  Messrs.  Mc- 
Donald and  Burbage  In  mind,  let  us 
review  a  few  of  the  most  sensational 
happenings  in  the  Ccpur  d'Alenes;  and 
in  the  absence  of  positive  proof  as  to 
who  is  guilty  let  us  determine  from  the 
facta,  if  possible,  at  whose  door  uio- 
t've  would  lay  the  crime. 

Just  prevlou.^  to  the  election  In  the 
fall  of  1MK8,  Dan  Connor  was  run  out 
of  the  canyon.  He  had  boon  working 
for  Fiui'h  *^-  Campbell,  the  owners  of 
the  "Spokcsman-Hovlow."  He  was  a 
poor  man.  Ho  stood  well  with  the 
union.  Uv  was  active  In  politics.  He 
hail    icc<;utl^    airauj^eU    oue    ot    tke 


-10- 


largest  political  meetings  among  the 
union  men  that  had  ever  been  held  in 
the  canyon.  On  the  day  after  he  was 
run  out,  when  he  arrived  in  Wallace, 
the  Sheriff  and  a  number  of  union  men 
and  other  citizens  met  him.  He  was 
asked  if  he  could  identify  the  men.  He 
replied  that  he  could.  They  all  im- 
plored him  to  do  so,  and  promised  to 
protect  him  and  prosecute  the  men, 
but  he  refused. 

He  then  went  to  Spokane  and  was 
"interviewed"  by  the  editor  of  the 
•'Spokesman-Review."  A  story  of  the 
"horrible  crime"  appeared,  with  the 
usual  untruthful  rehearsal  of  many 
past  circumstances.  Shortly  after  this 
"great  crime  of  the  union,"  this  poor 
man,  Dan  Connor,  bought  a  $3,500 
home  and  had  cash  to  spare.  Evident- 
ly, Connor  had  sold  out  to  someone. 
Could  it  have  been  the  union?  Is  it 
probable  that  the  union  would  have 
run  out  one  of  their  most  active  poli- 
tical managers,  just  previous  to  the 
election?  Would  not  the  union  be  the 
great  loser  by  such  an  act?  But  who 
would  probably  gain?  If  Connor's 
friends  could  be  persuaded  that  the 
union  had  run  him  out,  they  might  be 
persuaded  to  vote  against  the  ticket 
supported  by  the  miners.  Certainly 
the  citizens  of  the  district  would  be 
more  or  less  influenced  by  such  an  un- 
just act.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
the  labor  ticket  in  this  district  was 
standing  alone  against  both  the  old 
parties,  which  the  mine  owners  con- 
trolled. In  the  absence  of  positive 
proof  of  guilt,  it  seems  to  us  plain,  and 
we  are  willing  that  the  reader  should 
draw  his  own  conclusions,  at  whose 
door  motive  will  lay  the  crime. 

Another  sensational  case  was  the 
Whitney  murder.  The  facts  were  as 
follows: 

McDonald  owned  the  Black  Bear 
mine,  adjoining  the  Frisco,  of  which 
he  was  manager.  It  was  rumored  that 
McDonald  was  shipping  Frisco  concen- 
trates, labeling  them  as  Black  Bear 
concentrates,  and  pocketing  the  money. 
To  determine  the  truth  concerning  this 
rumor,  it  is  said  that  Whitney  was 
sent  to  the  mine  and  given  the  position 
of  mill  foreman.  Within  a  few  weeks, 
Whitney  was  run  out,  shot,  and  killed. 
He  was  a  union  man  from  Butte.  He 
stood  well  in  his  home  union.  He  was 
highly  respected  by  the  men  at  the 
Frisco  mine.  When  he  took  the  posi- 
tiwi  of  foreman  of  the  mill  he  did  not 


come  in  contact  with  the  union  In  any 
way,  because  the  union  only  admitted 
underground  men  to  membership. 
H-ence  the  union  could  not  possibly 
have  had  any  grievance  against  him. 
But  how  about  McDonald?  He  had 
been  fighting  the  union  ever  since  his 
Bodie  experience,  and  especially  since 
his  advent  in  the  Coeur  d'Alenes.  Is 
it  probable  that  he  would  go  to  Butte, 
the  hot-bed  of  unionism,  and  select  a 
tried  and  true  union  man  for  a  fore- 
man to  take  the  place  of  Ebbly,  who 
was  both  a  competent  foreman  and  a 
non-union  man? 

The  facts  appear  to  show  that  he 
lid  not  do  this  of  his  own  accord,  but 
that  Whitney  was  forced  into  the  mine 
by  the  stockholders.  It  will  also  be  ob- 
nerved  that  he  was  put  in  charge  of 
the  mill,  which  is  the  only  place  where 
!\  man  can  determine  the  quantity  of 
(Concentrates.  But  before  he  had  time 
1o  make  a  report  he  was  run  out,  shot, 
Jind  killed.  McDonald  gave  to  the 
Sheriff  the  names  of  the  three  Ebbly 
brothers  as  being  men  who  knew  some- 
thing of  the  crime.  Yet  McDonald  put 
Norman  Ebbly,  one  of  the  three  bro- 
thers, back  in  his  old  position  which 
V/hitney  had  for  so  short  a  time  occu- 
pied. 

If  McDonald  thought  Ebbly  was  in- 
nocent, why  did  he  hand  his'  name  to 
th.)  Sheriff?  If  he  though  him  impli- 
cated, why  did  he  re-employ  him? 
Certainly,  Whitney  was  now  where  he 
could  render  no  report,  and  previous 
exi)erience  had  proven  that  Ebbly 
would  not  render  such  report.  Nor 
was  any  such  report  ever  known  to 
be  made.  There  seems  to  be  no  ques- 
tion that  McDonald,  of  all  men,  was 
the  one  most  interested  in  getting 
Whitney  out  of  the  way.  The  union 
had  no  such  motive.  And  yet  the 
"Spokesman-Review"  openly  charged 
the  union  with  the  crime.  It  might  be 
well  to  mention  that  McDonald  and 
the  owners  of  the  "Spokesman-Re- 
vie-sr"  have,  since  the  murder,  floated 
both  the  Frisco  and  the  Black  Bear, 
and  that  they  cleaned  up  more  than 
$1,0<)0,000. 

Bit  will  the  reader  say  that,  though 
the  :notive  is  there,  yet  McDonald  was 
nev(r  proven  to  be  guilty?  If  so,  then 
we  ]  eply  that  there  was  no  motive  on 
the  part  of  the  union  men  and  neither 
were  they  proven  to  be  guilty.  On  his 
deathbed,  Whitney  said  that  he  did 
not  blame  the  union* 


-17- 


Thn  following  facts,  howerer.  will  be 
more  inteivstiui,'.  in  that  they  cau  be 
traced  dlreetl.v  to  McDonald.  It  was 
Bald  that  nrranj,'einent.s  had  been 
made  to  run  Ebbly  out  of  the  canyon 
and  that  the  day  was  set.  Ebbly,  on 
two  different  occasions,  told  his  trou- 
bles to.  Sheriff  Ileney.  saying  tliat  he 
had  consulted  with  Joe  McDonald,  and 
that  they  both  thought  tliat  Ileney 
should  lead  a  posse  (whicli  McDonald 
would  furnish),  and  lie  in  aiul)nsli, 
waiting  for  the  men  to  run  Ebl)ly  past, 
and,  as  soon  as  Ebbly  was  past,  tlie 
posse  should  tire  upon  the  men,  liilling 
some  and  routing  the  others. 

Sheriff  Ileney  refused  to  fall  in  with 
the  plot,  but  began  an  investigation. 
He  soon  discovered  that  tlie  .services  of 
a  newly  employwl  man  had  been  se- 
cured to  arrange  with  certain  thugs 
who  would  do  the  work.  The  very 
men  t3  whom  this  tool  was  sent  were 
those  most  generally  suspected  of  be- 
ing guilty  of  tlie  Whitney  murder.  Had 
Sheriff  Ileney  fallen  into  the  trap  set 
for  him,  at  least  some  men  would  have 
been  murdered.  The  entire  scheme 
was  traced  directly  to  Joe  McDonald. 
It  was  evidently  a  i>lot  to  drive  away 
some  who  were  dangerous  to  him,  be- 
cause they  knew  too  much,  and 
also  to  place  the  Sheriff  in  Mc- 
Donald's grip.  The  scheme  failed, 
Ebby  still  held  his  position  un- 
der McDonald,  and  was  never  driven 
out. 

Any  man  who  is  capable  of  con- 
ceiving such  a  villainous  scheme  to 
sacrifice  human  lives,  and  who  will 
bend  his  energies  to  execute  it,  will 
lend  himself  to  any  dire  plot  to  further 
his  own  ends. 

By  ail  these  facts,  the  mine  owners 
are  proven  to  be  fully  capable  of  plot- 
ting and  carrying  out  the  crimes  of 
which  they  are  accused,  and  which 
they  try  to  lay  at  the  door  of  the 
union. 

WHAT  IT  ALL  PROVES. 

When  the  facts  show  that,  of  all  the 
run-outs  which  have  occurred  in  the 
Coeur  d'Alenefi,  more  than  50  per  cent, 
have  occurred  in  McDonald's  camp, 
and  95  per  cent,  of  all  the  rest  have 
occurred  in  the  camp  of  Finch  & 
Campbell  at  Burke;  wlien  the  circum- 
stances show  that  tlie  mine  owners 
themselves  have  been  implicated  In 
some  of  the  most  8eu.«;ational  cases, 
aud   that   the   facts   can   not   be   ex- 


plained on  any  other  hypothes!«».  and 
yet  the  crime  was  charged  to  the 
union;  wlien  the  facts  show  that  men 
were  fre^iuently  rei»orted  to  have  been 
run  out.  an<l  the  odium  cast  upon  the 
uni«)n,  wiiilc,  as  a  matter  of  fact.  al>- 
solulely  UDthiiig  t)r  the  sort  had  oc- 
curred; when  tlie  facts  further  show 
that,  of  those  wlio  were  run  out,  a 
very  large  number  were  so  treated  for 
no  oilier  reason  than  to  afford  a  sort 
of  a  whipping-post,  at  which  the  imiou 
could  be  Inshcd  witli  the  pul>lic  press; 
wIkmi,  llnally.  the  facts  show  that  the 
mine  owners  continually  forced  the 
union  to  run  out  non-union  men  and 
detectives,  and  then  used  thrse  acts 
as  a  shield  behind  wiiich  iliey  hid 
their  own  crimes;  and  when  the  results 
show  that  the  union  is  spotted  with  de- 
tectives, and  that  the  freiiuent  and  per- 
sistent misrepresentations  incited  by 
the  association  have  poisoned  the  pulv 
lic  mind  against  the  Miners'  Union  and 
have  thereby  destroyed  the  public 
.sympathy  with  it  and  cut  off  its  great- 
est means  of  support;  tlie  deep-laid  plot 
and  the  adroit  manner  in  which  it  has 
been  executed  not  only  becomes  appar- 
ent to  us;  but  it  leads  us  to  expect  aa 
early  and  direct  attack  upon  the  very 
existence  of  the  union.  We  may  al^^^ 
expect  that  the  attack  will  be  conduct- 
ed with  such  skill  and  cunning  that 
the  capitalists  will  again  succeed  for  a 
time  in  deceiving  the  public. 

Thus,  on  tlie  one  hand,  with  their 
millions  of  dollars,  with  tlieir  detec- 
tives at  their  posts,  and  with  the  pub- 
lic in  their  favor,  were  the  mine  own- 
ers ready  for  battle.  And,  on  the  other 
hand,  with  a  full  treasury,  with  a 
thorough  organization  in  every  camp 
but  one,  with  $3.50  a  day  being  paid 
in  all  but  two  of  the  mines,  and  with 
their  power  increasing  in  those  two, 
tlie  Miners'  Union  was  prepared  for  the 
battle,  confident  that  they  would  suc- 
ceed In  restoring  the  union  scale  at 
Wardner. 

Still,  as  from  the  first,  was  the 
union  striving  to  defend  the  $3.50 
scale  against  the  constant  effort  of  the 
association  to  reduce  it. 

This  was  the  condition  of  the  two 
opposing  forces  at  the  beginning  of  the 
trouldes  which  led  up  to  the  affair  of 
April  21),  ISW,  at  the  Bunker  Hill  & 
Sulllviin  mine. 

The  question  now  Is,  W^ho  laid  the 
plot  of  April  20,  and  how  was  it  exe- 
cuted} 


-18- 


CHAPTER   IV. 


It  must  be  remembered  that,  during 
a  six  Aveelis'  session  of  the  Coroner's 
Jury,  which  first  considered  this  affair, 
several  hundred  miners  and  a  vast 
number  of  other  citizens  were  examin- 
ed; that,  at  this  examination,  not  only 
the  public,  but  the  attorneys  for  the 
miners  were  excluded;  that  the  entire 
examination  was  conducted  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  lead,  if  possible,  to  the 
disclosure  of  facts  which  would  prove 
the  union  to  be  g^uilty  of  a  conspiracy 
rather  than  to  discover  who  committed 
the  crime.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  the  same  effort  M-as  made  at  the 
Corcoran  trial,  which  lasted  four 
weeks;  and  also  that  the  same  effort 
was  made  at  the  trial  of  the  twelve 
men  who  were  convicted  of  interfering 
with  the  United  States  mail. 

No  one  will  deny  that  the  authorities 
did  all  in  their  power  to  saddle  the 
responsibility  of  this  crime  upon  the 
union.  And  yet,  during  all  these 
months,  with  all  their  examinations 
and  all  their  detectives,  not  only  have 
they  failed  to  discover  a  fact  which 
proves  the  union  to  be  guilty  of  a  plot, 
but  they  have  failed  even  to  show  a 
motive  on  the  part  of  the  union  for 
such  an  act. 

Let  us,  thetefore,  take  up  the  facts 
as  they  occurred  and  follow  them  to 
their  conclusions,  regardless  into  what 
camp  they  lead  us. 

Early  in  the  year  1899,  the  Wallace 
"Express"  made  a  report  of  the  total 
output  of  the  several  mines.  This  pa- 
per has  strenuously  supported  the 
mine  owners  in  the  recent  trouble  and 
its  figures  can  therefore  be  taken  as  an 
authoritative  statement  of  the  out- 
put 

From  this  statement,  it  appears  that 
the  Bufl&er  HiJl  &  Sullivan  mine  was 
shipping  26,000  tons  of  concentrates 
a  yeais  which  means  a  monthly 
divideni  amounting  to  about  $115,000. 
I'his  company  was  paying  to  most  of 
Its  men  only  $2.50  a  day.  After  con- 
sidering this  fact,  the  men  discovered 
that,  if  this  company  were  paying  the 
$3.50  scale,  it  would  still  be  able  to  de- 
clare a  monthly  dividend  of  about 
$100,000. 

This  fact  became  generally  known  in 
the  CcBur  d'Alenes,  and  the  mine  own- 
ers !n  all  the  other  camps  began  press- 
ing the  men,  either  to  force  a  raise  to 
$3,50  a  dax  at  the  B.  H.  &  S.  or  to  re- 


duce the  scale  to  $2.50  in  iae  other 
camps. 

Since  the  wages  had  been  at  $2.50  a 
daj'  for  so  long,  it  made  the  miners  ap- 
pear to  be  on  the  aggressive;  but  the 
fact  is  that  it  was  the  same  old  war- 
fare, and  the  men  were  only  continuing 
their  defense  of  the  .$3.50  scale.  Not 
being  conversant  with  this  fact,  the 
public  was  led  to  believe  that  the  B. 
H.  &  S.  was  on  the  defensive,  and  this 
statement  was  given  out  by  the 
"Spokesman-Review"— the  paper  own- 
ed by  Finch  and  Campbell  of  Burke. 

Finch  and  Campbell  were,  at  the 
same  time,  pressing  their  union  men  to 
urge  on,  and  to  stand  by  the  Wardner 
union  in  aggressive  action  against  the 
B.  H.  &  S.  McDonald  of  Gem  and 
the  operators  at  Mullen  were  also  fol- 
lowing the  same  policy  with  their  men. 

With  all  this  influence  behind  them, 
and  with  the  enormous  dividends  of 
the  company  as  a  justification,  the 
union  decided  to  act.  While  taking 
preliminary  measures,  however,  it  was 
found  that  men  were  being  discharged 
as  fast  as  they  joined  the  Wardner 
union.  Spies  were  evidently  doing 
their  work,  but  they  were  so  well  con- 
cealed that  the  union  could  not  dis- 
cover their  identity.  This  forced  the 
union  to  adopt  a  new  method.  They 
chose  two  old  and  tried  members  to 
Initiate  all  the  men  who  joined,  and  no 
one  but  those  two  were  permitted  to 
know  who  the  new  members  were. 
This  was  a  winning  card.  It  was  not 
long  until  250  of  the  B.  H.  &  S.  men 
belonged  to  the  union.  The  majority 
of  the  rest,  however,  were  old  non- 
imion  men,  and  would  not  join  until  a 
demand  was  made  upon  the  company. 
It  was  accordingly  decided  that  the 
time  had  come  for  action.  Committees 
were  sent  out  to  all  the  unions  in  the 
district,  the  situation  was  explained, 
and  every  member  of  the  unions  .in  the 
Coeur  d'Alenes  agreed  to  pay  $1  a  day 
into  the  strike  fund,  which  should 
go  to  the  Wardner  strikers,  and  to  con- 
tinue so  to  do  as  long  as  the  strike 
lasted.  The  men  argued  that  it  was 
fai*  wiser  for  them  to  pay  $1  a  day  for 
a  few  months,  out  of  their  $3.50,  than 
to  permit  their  wages  to  be  perma- 
nently reduced  to  $2.50.  Thus  they 
carried  out  the  advice  of  their  em- 
ployers—but in  a  most  unexpected 
manner.    This  laid  a  permanent  foun- 


-19- 


datlon  for  the  strike  and  a  freeze  out 
beiug  ioipossible,  ultimate  success  for 
the  uniou  seemed  eertulu. 
This  was  an  unexpected  departure  and 
the  traitors  in  the  union  Uew  to  their 
masters  with  the  news.  A  meetiuj;  of 
the  association  was  Immediately  called 
and  from  that  time  on  McDonald  held 
frequent  secret  interviews  with  Bur- 
bage,  of  the  B.  II.  &  S.  At  the  same 
time,  McDonald  and  Campbell  were  to 
be  seen  almost  every  day  in  Wallace, 
•'treating"  and  talking  with  the  men, 
leading  them  to  believe  that  tliey 
would  stand  by  the  union,  and  cursing 
Burbage  as  though  he  were  their  bit- 
terest enemy.  This  was  so  noticeable 
that  It  became  town  tallv,  and  yet  tha 
union  felt  confident  of  their  support. 

STRIKE  ORDERED. 

Finally  the  stiike  was  ordered,  and 
250  men  walked  out.  Mr.  Burbage 
then  offered  $3  and  $3.50  a  day.  saying 
that  a  similar  mine  in  his  neighbor- 
hood, the  Last  Chance,  was  worked  by 
union  men  on  those  terms.  But  the 
Last  Chance  mine  had  agreed  to  raise 
to  the  $3.50  scale  as  soon  as  their  air 
pump  was  in  running  order.  The 
union  was  willing  to  enter  into  a  simi- 
lar agreement  with  Mr.  Burbage,  with 
the  proviso  that  Burbage  should  also 
recognize  the  union.  This  he  positively 
refused  to  do.  He  knew  that,  if  he 
recognized  the  union,  any  reduction  in 
the  future  would  be  met  with  a  strike. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  men  knew  that, 
unless  the  union  was  recognized,  an 
early  reduction  would  follow.  Thus 
the  tight  continued. 

When  Governor  Steunenberg  re- 
quested Mr.  Burbage  to  arbitrate,  he 
replied  that  "the  wages  question  was 
settled  and  there  was  nothing  to  arbi 
trate." 

Thus  the  association  had  shifted  the 
battle  from  the  question  of  wages  to 
the  question  of  recognizing  the  union. 

But  the  treasury  was  full  and  the  re- 
sources plentiful,  and  the  union  forcen 
were  full  of  hope.  They  proceeded  to 
the  non-union  men  and  showed  them 
that  It  was  by  reason  of  the  action  of 
the  union  that  the  wages  had  been 
raised  and  that  they  could  continue  at 
that  rate  only  by  the  help  of  the  union. 
The  union  was  growing  rapidly  In 
numbers,  and  the  B.  H.  A:  S.  force  was 
corre8i>ondiugly  decreasing.  The  B.  H. 
&  S.  put  up  warning  notices,  stationed 
«rmed  guards,  &i|(lit  find  da^'«  about 


the  property,  and  sent  out  word  tliat 

great  danger  was  imminent.  The  fact 
is,  there  was  only  one  danger,  and  that 
was,  that  the  B.  II.  &,  8.  would  soon 
have  to  shut  down  for  want  of  men. 
In  that  case  the  wages  paid  by  the 
other  companies  would  have  been  the 
means  of  choking  oft  the  B.  U.  &  S. 
dividends.  Tliis  was  truly  an  occasion 
for  alarm,  but  not  in  the  union  camp. 

Notice  had  been  sent  to  all  the  unions 
that  a  little  persistence  would  soon 
crown  their  efforts  with  a  victory  at 
Wardner.  On  April  28,  everything  was 
as  peaceful  as  it  was  on  the  da}'  pre< 
vious  to  the  famous  eleventh  day  of 
July,  1892.  Late  in  the  evening,  there 
was  a  rumor  of  a  demonstration  which 
was  to  be  held  on  the  following  day, 
but  no  one  seemed  to  know  anything 
detinitely,  and  it  was  soon  dismissed, 
and  the  union  men  retired  to  their 
homes,  buoyant  with  hope,  and  happy 
over  the  prospect  of  an  early  and 
peaceable  settlement  of  the  trouble. 

The  union  was  in  a  condition  to  bold 
out  ludetinitely.  But  at  the  rate  at 
which  Burbage'a  men  were  quitting, 
the  B.  H.  &,  S.  was  destined  to  close 
down  in  a  very  few  weeks. 

Yet  the  Wardner  "News,"  which  kl 
the  B.  H.  &  S.  mouthpiece,  said  (see 
the  association  pamphlet,  page  38;: 
"JSome  people  express  fears  that  the 
union  may  do  some  dirty  work,  such 
as  the  destruction  of  property:  but  the 
'News'  trusts  not,  for  it  might  prove  a 
serious  blow  to  the  unions  in  other 
parts  of  the  Cojur  d'Alenes."  Yet  the 
same  article  expresses  sympathy  with 
Burbage  when  he  says  that  "all  men 
who  join  the  union  will  tind  their  tiiae 
waiting  at  tUe  office."    (See  :)age  37.N 

How  could  they  hope  that  the  unioas 
should  not  be  injured  In  ot^er  cam>*H», 
when  those  unions  were  furnishing  tiie 
means  by  which  the  Wartiuer  union 
had  practically  won  its  vlctory—aitc 
especially  when  they  were  doing  all  in 
their  power  to  destroy  the  Wai'dner 
union? 

Will  the  reader  ask  himself  why  thli 
mouthpleceof  Burbage  says  "some  peo- 
ple express  fears  that  the  union  may  do 
some  dirty  work,  sui'h  as  the  destruc- 
tion of  property"?  Why  should  such  a 
rumor  be  given  publication  bjr  tiie 
enemy  of  the  union? 

The  union  men  only  laughed  at  the 
silly  reports,  for  such  an  act  was  the 
farthest  from  their  tlu>uj:hl;s— fLrat,  b^ 


-20 -• 


cause  their  victory  was  already  prac- 
tically won,  and  second,  because  such 
methods  would  mean  certain  defeat  to 
the  union  and  would  strengthen  the 
association. 

On  the  morning'  of  the  twenty-ninth 
all  the  men  at  the  other  mines  went 
with  their  dinner  pails  in  hand,  to 
take  their  places  in  their  regular 
shifts — with  the  one  exception  of  Fincli 
&;  Campbell's  mine,  which  had  closed 
down  that  day,  ostensibly  for  repairs. 

On  arriving  at  the  shaft,  all  these 
men  were  informed  that  there  would 
be  no  work  that  day.  Certainly  they 
cannot  be  accused  of  knowing  the 
plans  for  the  day.  They  were  soon  told 
that  a  meeting  had  been  called  and 
that  every  one  was  expected  to  go  to 
Wardner  on  a  demonstration.  Abso- 
lutely nothing  was  said  of  the  real 
purpose,  and  they  knew  nothing  more 
than  that  they  were  to  give  their  moral 
support  to  the  Wardner  union. 

The  regular  down  train  left  Burke  at 
10  a.  m.  A  number  of  men  piled  on 
to  it;  a  few  had  gun.«;,  but  the  evidence 
in  the  Corcoran  trial  showed  that  these 
men  were  without  a  leader  or  a 
defin'te  purpose. 

The  train  ran  down  to  Gem,  three 
miles  away.  Here  at  McDonald's 
eamp  affairs  assumed  a  definite  shape. 
A  PUBLIC  meeting,  NOT  A  SECRET 
ONE,  had  been  held.  They  were  all 
told  to  go  to  Wardner  on  a  demonstra- 
tion. Tom  Noonan  was  the  President 
of  the  union  and  was  believed  to  have 
been  the  masked  chairman  that  morn- 
ing. The  chairman  told  tlie  men  that 
they  had  better  take  guns  and  masks, 
for  if  an  emergency  arose  they  might 
need  them.  Some  of  the  men  obeyed, 
and  they  were  at  the  depot  in  order 
and  under  command  when  the  train 
arrived. 

Immediately  on  Its  arrival  a  few 
men  with  revolvers  ordered  the  engi- 
neer to  get  more  box  cars,  which  he 
^id,  and  the  men  were  ordered  to  climb 
yk.  Wheat  this  was  done,  the  engineer 
\ras  told  to  back  up  to  the  McDonald 
^wder  bouse.  The  train  was  backed 
lyjrf  accordJIng  to  orders,  and  3,000 
pounds  of  giant  powder  was  loaded 
on  with  which  the  B.  H.  &  S.  mine 
was  to  be  blown  up;  and  as  the  boyfs 
were  pufling  out,  McDonald  was  pres- 
ent, and  is  said  to  have  laughed  and 
iWisfaed  them  success. 

I<et  us  leave  the  men  on  the  train 
for  &  moment  and  consider  a  few  inci- 


dental happenings  which  will  cast 
light  upon  the  whole  affair. 

At  the  very  time  when  the  train  with 
all  the  men  aboard  was  standing  in 
Wallace,  four  women  were  in  one  of 
the  large  stores  of  the  town.  While 
in  conversation  one  of  them  said  that 
she  knew  that  "the  men  would  win,  for 
McDonald  was  on  their  side;  he  had 
turned  his  guns  over  to  them,"  The 
husbands  of  two  of  these  women  had 
never  been  favorable  to  the  union. 
They  went  that  morning  to  Wardner, 
and  in  a  few  days  left  with  their  wives 
for  British  Columbia,  where  they  re- 
mained until  December.  They  then  re- 
turned, and  at  present  they  both  have 
good  positions  under  McDonald.  But 
the  husbands  of  the  other  two,  who 
were  always  ardent  union  men,  and 
knew  nothing  of  the  guns,  are  unable 
to  secure  a  permit  to  look  for  work. 

It  developed  in  the  trial  of  Corcoran 
that  McDonald  and  Burbage  and  Cul- 
bertson  all  knew  early  in  the  morning 
what  was  going  to  be  done  that  day, 
yet  neither  of  them  notified  the  officers 
nor  took  any  steps  whatever  to  prevent 
it. '  Either  one  of  them  could  have  pre- 
vented it,  had  they  so  desired,  by  in- 
forming the  railroad  officials  who 
would  have  sent  the  engines  all  down 
the  track. 

Mr.  Burbage,  of  the  B.  H.  &  S.,  told 
the  writer  that  he  had  been  warned 
three  days  before,  but  did  not  say  by 
whom;  he  said  that  his  men  desired 
to  protect  the  property,  but  be  told 
them  not  to  do  so.  When  I  asked  him 
how  many  men  were  willing  to  defend 
his  property,  he  said  "all  of  his  men," 
and  that  he  had  250.  But  he  said  they 
did  not  all  have  guns.  When  I  asked 
him  if  he  could  not  have  secured  250 
guns  during  the  three  days  (including 
the  militia  guns,  which  were  at  his 
service)  he  then  said  that  he  did  not 
want  the  men  to  fight,  for  then  it 
would  go  out  to  the  world  simply  as  a 
fight  between  two  bodies  of  working 
men,  and  HE  "DID  NOT  WANT  IT 
TO  GO  OUT  TO  THE  WORLD  THAT 
WAY."  But  the  question  is:  HOW 
DID  HE  WANT  IT  TO  GO  OUT  TO 
THE  WORLD?  The  most  important 
fact  is  that  he  knew  "how  he  wanted 
it  to  go  out  to  the  world,"  FOR  TO 
KNOW  THIS  IS  TO  CONFESS  A 
PLOT, 

When  McDfifi'ald  was  asked  in  court 
what  he  thotffht  the  men  were  going 
to  do  down  at  Wardmer,  he  said  that 


-21- 


*'he  thought  they  were  going  to  have 
a  tea  party  down  there."  And  Mr. 
Culbertson  did  not  endeavor  to  pre- 
vent them  because  he  had  no  interest 
in  the  matter.  Thus  of  the  mine  own- 
ers, who  were  proven  to  have  known 
that  the  crime  was  to  he  committed, 
not  only  did  not  one  raise  a  hand  to 
prevent  It,  but  all  Joined  in  clearing  the 
way.  that  nothing  might  Interfere  with 
its  progress— because  they  ''wanted  it 
to  go  out  to  the  world  in  that  way." 

CAPITALISTS'  MOTIVES. 

But  why  did  the  mine  owners  want 
It  to  go  out  to  the  world  that  way? 
The  answer  is  again  evident:  They 
wanted  it  to  appear  that  the  union 
had  deliberately  gone  in  a  body  and 
blown  up  a  valuable  mil,  not  because 
of  low  wages,  but  because  a  certain 
company  would  not  recognize  the 
union.  Such  an  act  would  conform  to 
the  false  pofrition  in  which  the  union 
had  been  placed  by  the  "Spoksman- 
Review,"  and  would  present  the  long 
desired  opportunity  to  call  out  the  fed- 
eral power  to  cnish  it. 

But  is  it  asked:  What  can  be  the 
motive  which  would  drive  the  mine 
owners  or  the  B.  H.  &  S,  to  such  des- 
perate straits?  The  character  of  the 
men  being  sufficiently  depraved,  the 
motives  will  be  found  to  be  abundant. 

Were  the  union  destroyed,  the  wages 
would  soon  be  reduced  from  $3.50  to 
|!2..50  a  day.  One  dollar  a  day  off  of 
each  man's  wages  would  mean  $1G0,- 
000  a  year  to  the  B.  H.  &  S.  Co.  alone. 
But  there  are  2,000  mxm  working  in  the 
large  mines  and  $1  a  day  from  each 
man  means  $700,000  each  year,  to  be 
divided  among  seven  companies;  ip.  a 
Bingle  year  these  companies  could  pay 
for  the  mill  out  of  the  money  saved, 
and  still  have  $500,000  left.  Every 
year  thereafter  they  would  gain  $700,- 
000.  But  Mr.  Burbage  has  DEMAND- 
ED that  THE  STATE  PAY  THE 
COMPANY  $250,000  FOR  THE 
PLANT,  although  he  told  the  assessor 
that  the  mill  was  old  and  would  soon 
have  to  be  replaced  and  srwore  that  it 
WAS  ONLY  WORTH  THE  .$52,000 
FOR  WHICH  IT  WAS  TAXED.  He 
told  the  writer  that  he  still  thought 
the  State  would  have  to  pay  for  it. 

If  the  $2.50  scale  had  been  in  force 
since  ]8f)2,  the  companies  would  have 
have  been  more  than  $0,000,000  in 
pocket,  and  the  men  that  much  poorer, 
tiad  the  union  bocu  out  of  the  field, 


this  condition  would  have  been  real- 
ized. 

Again,  It  must  be  remembered  that 
this  district  Is  scarcely  scratched,  in 
comparison  to  Its  enormous  resources, 
and  that  while  these  companies  have 
greedily  snatched  every  claim  which 
promised  well,  yet  they  constantly 
Haunted  "murder."  "desperados^** 
"midnight  assassins.**  "Molly  Mc- 
Guire's,"  "labor  war."  "dynamiters,** 
in  the  face  of  all  outside  capitalists,  to 
lead  them  to  believe  that  Investments 
in  the  C«pur  d'Alenes  were  nn.safc. 
Some  of  these  very  companies  own  as 
many  as  200  claims,  most  of  which  are 
patented.  When  the  richest  of  these 
numerous  claims  are  converted  Into 
mines  the  number  of  men  employed 
will  be  increased  to  many  thousands, 
and  a  decrease  in  the  wage  to  $2.50 
a  day  woukl  mean  millions  more  to 
these  very  companies.  This  opening: 
np  of  mines  is  not  merely  a  prophesy 
of  Avhat  might  be.  The  work  is  now 
actually  being  done. 

Put  this  is  not  all.  Two-fifty  a  day 
is  not  the  minimum.  Without  the  union 
to  protest  and  to  make  war  against  re- 
duction the  wages  would  faU  to  $1..*^ 
or  even  below.  This  is  true  in  east- 
ern mines,  and  woud  be  tni*  in  the 
C'oeur  d'Alene.  This  would  mean 
millions  more  to  these  same  companies. 

And  yet  this  is  not  all.  Were  the 
union  destroyed,  the  company  boarding 
house,  the  comjiany  hospital  foes,  the 
company  bunk  house,  the  company 
store  would  all  be  resurrected  and  run 
in  full  blast,  and  the  wages  of  the  mt^ 
would  pass  back  through  the  hands  4t 
the  mine  owners  and  a  larger  propor^ 
tion  of  it  would  lodge  in  thQU^  coffers 
as  profits. 

Were  the  union  ont  of  the  way,  thf 
mine  owners  •could  control  thw  flection^ 
and  thus,  thi-ough  their  own  assessor, 
reduce  their  taxes  by  many  thonsands 
of  dollars  each  year.  They  would  also 
be  able  to  send  their  own  tools  to  the 
State  legislature. 

The  union  and  only  the  union  stands 
between  the  mine  owners  and  untold 
millions  of  additional  profits,  together 
with  political  supremacy. 

These  are  the  motives  which  hare 
actuated  the  mine  owners.  It  Is 
for  these  reasons  tliat  during  these 
many  years  the  papers  imder  the  con- 
trol of  the  n.ssociation  have  east  tbe 
odium  of  every  crime  committed  In 
the  Cocur  d'A^enc  ui^n  th^  Jl^iiXSk  '^^ 


-22- 


coined  many  a  falsehood  to  make  the 
crime  the  more  offeusive.  These  are 
the  motives  for  throwing  the  union  into 
a  false  position  before  the  public,  and 
thus  crushing  it. 

But  let  us  return  to  the  miners  on  the 
train    at    Wallace.     When    the    train 
pulled  out  of  Wallace  it  so  happened 
that  the  leader  and  his  few  men  were 
left  behind.    These  were  the  men  who 
took  command  at  McDonald's  camp. 
When  the  train  arrived  at  Wardner  it 
Btopped  and  the  crowd  of  1,000  people 
got  off;  among  them   were  som.e  200 
masked  and  armed  men.     They  were 
at  a  loss.     They  did  not  know  what 
was  to  be  done.    Questions  were  being 
asked  of  everybody  and  by  everybody. 
No  plans  were  known.       Everything 
was  in  a  state  of  chaos.    This  was  the 
universal  evi<lence,  as  it  appeared  in  all 
the  trials.     Can  we  believe  it  possible 
that  the  scheme  was  hatched  and  dis- 
cussed In  the  union,   when  we  know 
that  on  arriving  at  their  destination, 
simply  because  seven  men  were  acci- 
dentally left  behind,  all  the  rest  were 
at  sea  and  were  unable  to  execute  the 
plans?    There  can  be  but  one  answer 
to  this  question.     It  is  proof  positive 
that  the  plans  were  never  discussed  in 
the  union.    And  the  fact  that  the  men 
all  went  to  the  mines  that  morning,  ex- 
pecting to  work,  is  evidence  that  noth- 
ing was  known  of  the  plan.     But  let 
us  suppose  that  it  was  discussed  In  the 
union;  is  it  probable  that  1.000  men, 
mostly  without  arms  or  masks,  would 
take  3,000  pounds  of  dynamite,  put  it 
on  a  train,  and  proceed  to  a  town  15 
miles  away,  for  the  purpose  of  blowing 
Bp  a  mill  where  an  armed  force  was 
known  to  have  been  kept,  when  every 
i7:-.an  in  the  country  knew  that  a  rifle 
ball  could  be  fired  at  long  range  into 
the  boxes,  exploding  the  dynamite  and 
sending  the  1,000  men  to  eternity?    Is 
this  the    way  men  protect  themselves 
T^hen  they  march  on  an  armed  enemy? 
le  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  1,000 
men  wpuld  thus  endanger  their  lives, 
JT  undev  any  circumstances  take  such 
a  risk,  when  every  man  among  them 
knew  that  one  or  two  of  them  could 
have  done  the  work  on  any  night,  with- 
out danger? 

There  was  good  reason  for  their  go- 
ing in  a  body  to  make  the  non-union 
men  realize  how  many  friends  the 
imion  had.  But  no  motive  has  ever 
yet  been  pointed  out  that  could  possi- 
bly have  catised  the  men  to  blow  up  the 


mill,  for  their  victory  was  practically 
won  without  it. 

But  the  reply  is  that  they  did  do  it. 
It  is  a  fact  that  the  union  men  went 
down,  and  that  men  belonging  to  the 
union  did  the  work.  But  it  is  also  a 
fact  that  80  per  cent,  of  them  were  in 
box  cars  and  did  not  know  that  the 
powder  was  on  the  train  until  they  ar- 
rived at  Wardner.  John  A.  Finch,  one 
of  the  owners  of  the  "Spokesmen-Re- 
view," and  a  member  of  the  Mine 
Owners'  Association,  was  forced  to 
testify  on  the  witness  stand  that  he 
thought  that  more  than  80  per  cent, 
of  the  men  had  absolutely  no  idea  of 
what  was  to  be  done.  But  the  seven 
men  who  were  left  behind  compelled 
an  engineer  to  run  an  engine  out  of  the 
yards  and  to  carry  them  down  to 
Wardner.  When  they  arrived  order 
was  restored  at  once. 

Klondyke— this  was  the  name  by 
which  the  foreman  was  called— gave 
orders  somewhat  as  follows:  "Armed 
masked  men,  attention.  Wardner, 
Burke,  Gem  and  Mullen  to  the  front. 
Unarmed  masked  men  to  the  powder.'* 
After  a  little  reconnoitering,  during 
which  two  men  were  killed,  the  mask- 
ed men,  armed  and  unarmed,  marched 
to  the  mill,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
the  office  was  in  flames  and  the  mill 
was  a  mass  of  ruins. 

Then  for  the  first  time  the  miners 
saw  why  McDonald  supplied  guns  and 
dynamite  and  laughed  as  he  wished 
them  good  luck;  saw  why  Culbertson 
did  not  interfere;  saw  why  Burbage 
deserted  his  property  and  offered  no  re- 
sistance; saw  that  they  had  been  sold 
and  betrayed  by  traitors,  and  were 
caught  in  the  trap  of  the  enemy;  saw 
their  victory  turn  to  ashes  in  their 
hands. 

But  the  members  of  the  association 
were  in  high  glee  because  .it  "would  go 
out  to  the  world  as  they  wanted  it." 

One  or  two  circumstances  might  be 
related  here,  to  show  that  this  mass  of 
men  were  not  guided  by  their  own  pas- 
sions, but  by  the  direction  of  a  few 
men  who  seemed  to  act  according  to 
instructions  which  they  had  received 
from  other  quarters. 

Mr.  Burbage  says  that  he  was  warn- 
ed three  days  in  advance  that  the  af- 
fair would  happen.  Yet  he  left  his 
vaults  open,  and  valuable  papers  were 
scattered  about  the  ofl^ce,  apparently 
in  the  hope  that  they  would  be  con- 
sumed in  the  flames.    There  had  been 


•^23- 


mnch  talk  of  underhand  office  work, 
uch  as  coatractiu^  for  timber  ut  one 
rice  and  reporting  a  hit'her  price  to 
rlie  company,  pocketing  the  difference; 
the     same     witlj     wajjeji,     maclilnery. 
lalms.  etc.    The  vaults  were  left  open 
nd  the  tlrst  act  of  the  hired  tools  was 
t.)  set  tire  to  the  ottice,  tljfts  obliterat- 
ing all  the  records  of  the  Bunker  Hill 
and  Sullivan  Company. 

It  could  not  have  been  thirst  for 
blood  and  de.struction  tluit  i)rompted 
this  mass  of  men.  Their  leaders  were 
I  rompted  by  other  motives.  By  the 
iile  of  the  mill  was  a  piece  of  prop- 
erty which  cost  the  company  Jf70,U(X) 
and  was  practically  new.  That  prop- 
ty  consists  of  a  trolley  some  two 
liles  long,  which  swings  over  the 
town  of  Warduer.  and  on  which  all 
the  ore  is^trtinsported  from  the  mine 
to  the  mill.  One  fifty  pound  Ijox  of 
I>owder  would  have  destroyed  this 
property  and  precipitated  the  cars  on 
the  city  below,  resulting  in  a  great 
destruction  of  life.  If  these  miners 
are  "murderers,  cutthroats,  and  high- 
binders," why  this  restraint? 


A  masked  man  guarded  tbi.s  part  of 
the  plant.  Why?  Because,  had  the 
swinging  cars  fallen  upon  the  city  be- 
low, it  is  doul)lful  wheUier  the  citi- 
zens would  have  permitted  the  com- 
pany to  reconstruct  it.  in  which  case 
the  company  would  have  been  com- 
pelled to  build  a  railroad  down  the 
canyon,  which  would  have  meant  an 
enormous  initial  outlay  and  Increa.sed 
running  expenses.  Therefore  they  pro- 
vided a  masked  man  to  guard  that  si>e- 
cial  piece  of  property,  and  their  hired 
tools,  who  were  doing  the  work  of  de- 
struction, were  careful  to  obey  him 
and  the  trolley  was  not  molested.  Ex- 
plain this  strange  occurrence,  if  you 
can,  on  any  other  hypothesis  than  that 
the  men  who  directed  the  work  were 
the  tools  of  the  mine  owners. 

Now  that  the  work  of  destruction 
has  been  done,  and  the  union  has  been 
drawn  into  a  false  position,  it  remains 
only  a  question  as  to  how  the  union 
can  be  crushed,  and  the  union  men 
punished,  witliout  at  the  same  time 
punishing  the  tools  of  the  corpora- 
tions. 


CHAPTER  V, 


On  the  following  day  the  mines  were 

all    running    as    usual,    and    the    men 

were  at  work,  with  the  exception  of  a 

lew  who  were  missing.    Sheriff  Young, 

who  was  on  the  ground  when  the  mill 

was  blown  up,  and   who  commanded 

the  men,  in  the  name  of  the  law,  to 

disperse,  but  who  was  brushed  aside 

nrs  any  other    individual    would    have 

•en,  was  doing  all  that  could  be  done 

>  discover  the  guilty.     The  union  had 

lodged  itself  to  assist  him  in  every 

"ssibie  way. 

Being  an  old  resident,  acquainted  in 

very  camp,  and  having  been  on  the 

round  and  mingled  with  the  men  all 

le  day  on  April  L'y,  and  having  also 

..le    assistance    of    the    union,    there 

could  be  no  doubt  but  that  he  could 

and  would  have'  brought  the  guilty  to 

Mstice.     But  he  was  not  permitted  to 

How  the  trail  of  the  criminals,  which 

>■   would   have  done,   even  though   it 

id  led  him  Into  the  places  of  the  Cceur 

U'Alene.s. 

When  we  remember  that  the  mine 

wners  constantly   persist  in  employ- 

g  non-union  men;  that  among  these 

.)n-unlon    men   were    the   hired    tool.s 

vud    detectives    of    the    corporatlooa; 


that  the  union  always  demanded  that 
all  non-union  men  who  worked  in  the 
mines  should  join  the  union;  that  this 
step  was  necessary  because,  if  the 
union  should  forbid  non-union  men  to 
enter  tlie  district  the  public  would 
jondemn  them,  and  if  they  did  not  In- 
sist on  their  joining  the  union  the  com- 
panies would  soon  displace  all  the 
union  forces;  that  this  fact  opened  the 
union  doors  to  the  spies  of  the  mine 
ownere;  that  when  these  spies  were 
discovered  the  union  was  ot)mpelled  to 
drive  them  out  of  the  canyon;  thati 
such  occurrences  were  always  publisb- 
ed  by  the  mine  owners'  daily  press  so 
as  to  convince  the  public  that  the 
union  was  composed  of  crlfninals  ol 
the  meanest  type;  that  the  demand  for 
the  old  $3.50  scale  was  practically 
granted,  so  that  the  wage  question 
would  not  be  the  direct  Issue;  that  the 
mine  owners  refused  to  recopilre  the 
union  in  order  to  precipitate  th%  fight 
upon  the  union  under  the  |rt-eiext  that 
It  employed  criminal  naetkods  uad  as 
an  organi7Jition  should  be  •upurcBficid; 
that  by  means  of  their  sptes  Qm^  lud 
succeeded  in  pottinc  tke  onioa  te  mmeh 
a  poattkoa  m  woaki  wakm-tM  aMPMr  to 


-24- 


the  public  as  having  comitted  an  atro- 
cious crime,  and  when  we  remember 
the  further  fact  that  General  Merriam 
indorsed  the  actions  of  the  mine  own- 
ers, and  not  only  agreed  with  them 
that  the  Miners'  Union  of  the  Co3ur 
d'Alenes  was  a  criminal  organization, 
but  EXPRESSED  THE  SENTi:\rENT 
THAT  ALL  UNIONS  WERE  CRIMI- 
NAL ORGANIZATIONS,  and  urged 
the  Colorado  capitalists  to  employ  thtt 
same  methods  then  being  employed 
in  Idaho;  when  we  remember,  also, 
that,  when  Governor  Steunenberg  was 
asked  why  he  kept  hundreds  of  men  in 
prison  for  months,  against  whom  no 
charges  were  ever  preferred,  he  replied 
indifferently  that  ho  "did  not  think  it 
safe  for  them  to  have  their  liberty," 
and  when  we  remember  that  of  the 
1,500  men  who  were  arrested,  only 
fourteen  were  convicted— thirteen  of 
whom  were  convicted  merely  of  ob- 
structing the  United  States  mail  (which 
was  on  time  that  day),  and  one  of 
whom  was  convicted  of  murder  in  the 
second  degree  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
he  established  an  alibi  by  the  testi- 
mony of  twenty  men,  women,  and 
children,  as  against  one  woman  who, 
though  she  admitted  never  having  seen 
him  before,  swore  that  she  recognized 
him  as  one  of  the  masked  men— wh'm 
these  facts  are  remembered,  it  becomes 
most  interesting  to  know  what  was  the 
plan  of  battle  by  which  the  mine  own- 
ers and  the  State  officials  were  able  to 
shield  the  guilty  and  to  prosecute  the 
innocent.  The  plan  may  most  easily 
be  understood  by  sumariziug  the  chief 
events  since  April  29: 

1.  Martial  lavv'  was  declared. 

2.  Sheriff  Young  was  thrown  out  of 
his  office. 

.3.  Dr.  H.  France,  an  employee  of  the 
Bunker  Hill  and  Sullway  Co.,  was  ap- 
pointed as  sheriff. 

4.  The  County  Commissioners  were 
thrown  out  of  their  offices. 

5.  The  candidates  for  these  offices 
who  had  been  defated  in  the  previous 
election  and  who  had  been  supported 
by  the  mine  owners,  were  appointed 
commissioners. 

6.  The  soldiers  assisted  Dr.  France  in 
making  a  wholesale  arrest  of  800  men 
at  one  time;  immediately  after  the 
change  of  officers. 

7.  No  charges  were  immediately  pre- 
ferred against  the  arrested  men. 

8.  Non-union  men  were  imported. 

9.  Some  men  were   dismissed   from 


prison  when  prominent  citizens  would 
assert  that  they  knew  them  to  be  hon- 
orable. 

10.  A  coroner's  inquest  was  held, 
lasting  six  weeks. 

11.  A  grand  jury  and  a  trial  jury 
were  drawn. 

12.  A  permit  system  was  inaugur- 
ated, which  made  it  necessary  for 
every  man  to  secure  from  Dr.  France 
(practically  the  B.  H.  &  S.  Co.),  an 
official  permit,  before  he  could  seek  em- 
ployment in  Shoshone  County. 

13.  The  "American  Industrial  Union" 
was  organized,  to  which  the  miners, 
the  mine  owners,  the  merchants  and 
every  one  else  may  belong. 

14.,  Permits  to  seek  work  could  be  re- 
voked by  Dr.  France,  the  new  sheriff, 
at  his  pleasure. 

These  are  the  throttles,  the  cogs,  the 
wheels,  and  the  levers  of  the  machine, 
and  the  few  days  in  which  it  was  oiled 
and  started  under  a  full  head  of  steam 
shows,  beyond  all  question  of  doubt, 
that  it  was  planned  and  constructed 
before  the  29th  day  of  April,  1899. 

Let  us  examine  the  workings  of  their 
several  parts. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  troops.  Sheriff 
Young  and  the  commissioners  were  de- 
posed. Dr.  France  was  installed  as 
sheriff  and  also  new  commissioners 
were  appointed.  Immediately  there- 
after eight  hundred  men  were  taken 
from  the  mines  in  their  working 
clothes  and  driven  like  sheep  into 
a  few  box  cars  and  an  old  barn. 
For  twenty-four  hours  they  remained 
without  food  or  drink  or  a  change  of 
clothing;  and  for  three  weeks  they 
were  kept  in  these  places,  where  there 
was  not  a  bed  and  not  sufficient  room 
for  all  of  them  to  lie  down  at  the  same 
time;  and  during  these  three  weeks  the 
food  was  nauseating,  and  altogether 
unfit  to  be  eaten.  These  outrageous 
conditions  resulted  in  typhoid,  pneu- 
monia, malaria,  dysentery  and  other 
diseases.  There  being  but  one  outhouse 
and  only  one  man  being  permitted  out 
at  a  time,  and  the  barn  loft,  which 
was  crowded  with  men.  being  laid  with 
loose  boards,  was  fairly  dripping  with 
human  excretions  upon  the  men  below, 
and  the  whole  place  became  a  verita- 
ble cespool,  in  which  the  men  were 
compelled  to  stand,  to  sleep  and  to  eat, 
for  twenty-one  days  and  nights,  with- 
out fire  when  the  days  were  chilly  and 
the  nights  were  cold  and  crisp. 

From  this  inhuman  treatment  several 


-2:^- 


of  the  men  died,  and  many  contracted 
diseases  which  still  liuger  with  them. 
This  outrage  upon  these  men  was  la- 
flic'ted  by  the  State  officials,  their  polit- 
ical opponents,  and  by  the  mine  own- 
ers, their  Imlustrial  masters.  At  the 
same  time  that  this  brutal  act  was  be- 
ing executed  the  State  officials  and 
mine  owners,  through  their  press,  were 
leacMug  the  public  to  believe  that  the 
meu  were  a  baud  of  desperadoes,  while 
they  themselves  were  exemplary  and 
law  abiding  citizens  of  America.  These 
mine  owners  and  officials  who  have 
shown  themselves  capable  of  creating 
such  horrible  conditions  and  unjustly 
inlllctiug  cruel  punishment  as  to  result 
in  disease  and  death,  would  have  us 
lielii-ve  that  they  were  too  honorable 
and  respeetable  to  conceive,  and  by 
their  hirelings  execute  the  plot  of 
blowing  up  a  mill  and  killing  a  man. 

Many  men  who  are  publicly  known 
to  have  been  armed  and  masked  and 
at  Wardner  on  April  29.  and  who  were 
not  members  of  the  union,  have  never 
been  arrested  and  have  remained  in 
Wallace  since  that  date. 
CAPITALISTS'  TOOLS  RELEASED. 
It  was  very  necessary  that  this  be 
done,  for  if  the  spie^j  and  tools  of  the 
mine  owners  were  punished,  what  as- 
surance was  there  that  they  would  not 
turn  State's  evidence?  It  was  partly 
for  this  that  no  charges  were  made 
against  any  one  at  tirst,  for  had 
liarges  btK'n  made  the  mine  owners' 
:ools  might  have  been  caught.  It  Avas 
for  this  reason  that  Sheriff  Young  was 
thrown  out  of  office,  for  he  would  not 
share  in  such  culpable  deeds:  and  it 
was  for  this  reason  that  Dr.  France. 
llie  employee  of  the  B.  II.  &  S.  was 
made  sheriff. 

The  public  indignation  forced  the  au- 

thoiities    to    build    better   ai)artments. 

and   after  the  expiration   of  the  first 

three   weeks  the   men   were   taken   to 

'  tter  (piarters.  but  they  were  still  held 

-  prisoners,  and  yet  no  charges  were 

ought  against  them. 

The  authorities  were  pres.<?ed  either 

to  prefer  charges,  try  them,  and  pun- 

i^li  tlie?u.  or  to  release  them.    The  local 

Micials  insisted  that  as  long  as  martial 

iw  prevailed,  they   had  no  jnnver  to 

■  t;  while  the  State  and  federal  author- 

ies   Insisted   that   they    were  only   to 

eserve  peace,  and  had  no  other  jiower 

\er  the  men.     Thrs  they  held  them. 

.  jv    mouth;s,    with    theue    evasive    ex- 


cuses. The  public  waa  becoming  !■- 
digu.'int  and  some  further  excuse  must 
be  offered  or  demand  would  be  mad* 
for  the  release  of  the  men,  and  there 
must  also  be  shown  a  reason  for  retain- 
ing them  for  such  a  long  period. 

IN  THE  BULL  PEN. 
To  satisfy  the  i>ublic  that  the  meA 
were  vicious,  the  officers  ordered  the 
men  to  dig  a  trench.    The  men,  know- 
ing that  they  were  Innocent,  refused 
to  do  such  work.    It  was  at  once  pro- 
claimed to  the  world  that  the  men  were 
unruly.    Thej  were  order  to  toe  a  line, 
to  stand  erect,  and  not  to  move,  head, 
body,   or  limb   for  seven   hours   each 
day— on   penalty  of  death.     Thla  was 
continued  for  eight  days  in  the  hot  sua 
—for  summer  had  come. 
This  awful  nervous  strain  changed  one 
man  into  a  raving  maniac,  and  many 
showed  signs  of  insanity.     After  this 
man  was  adjudged  insane  by  the  court. 
Dr.  France,  with  guards,  started  witM 
him  to  the  asylum.    Not  knowing  what 
he  was  doing,  the  Insane  man  broke  tb« 
cords    wth   which  they  had  foolishly 
tied  him,  and  ran  away.    He  was  told 
to  halt,  as  though  he  knew  enough  to 
halt,  and  when  he  ran,  the  men  were 
ordered  by  Dr.  France  to  shoot.    They 
obeyed,  and  this  so  frightened  the  poor 
fellow  that  he  jumped  Into  the  creek 
and  was  drowned.     I  submit  that  am 
order  to  shoot  at  an  Insane  man.  give* 
by  a  sheriff,  under  such  circumstances, 
is  not  only  cause  for  his  removal  from 
office,  but  is  a  crime  against  the  State 
for   which   he   should   be   Imprisoned. 
Yet  he  is  still  acting  as  sheriff,  execut- 
ing other  crimes,  at  the  command  of 
his   superiors  In  office  and   in  crime. 
Not  any  officer  was  arrested  for  com- 
mitting these  crimes.     Men  who  were 
guilty  of  absolutely  no    offense    were 
thrown  into  the  Bull    Pen    and    kept 
there  for  mouths. 

Mr.  Stewart,  who  was  not  a  member 
of  the  union,  and  was  not  at  Wardner 
on  April  29,  was  arrested  for  publish- 
ing a  paper,  in  which  he  expressed 
sympathy  for  the  meu  who  were  being 
punished  and  condemned  the  malicious 
actions  of  the  authorities,  lie  was  held 
for  some  time,  aiul  was  then  released, 
without  trial  and  ^Tmotrt  any  «luurfet 
being  made  against  him, 

Mr.  Flanagan  was  arrested  because 
he  would  not  surrender  his  office  of  th% 
justice  of  the  peace  to  tlie  State  au- 
thorities.   He  hud  been  elected  hjr  tte 


.--2e- 


people  and  he  was  but  doing  hfs  duty 
to  them  in  resisting  the  demands  of  the 
martial  law  outfit.  He  was  kept  in 
prison  for  almost  five  months  and  then 
released  without  being  charged  with 
any  crime. 

Tiros.  Heney  was  arrested  for  secur- 
ing evidence  for  the  defendants. 

Similar  flagrant  instances  might  be 
cited  without  end,  but  space  forbids, 
and  necessity  does  not  require  it.  The 
Bull  Pen  outi'ages  and  crimes,  which 
were  committed  by  the  authorities, 
have  been  so  generally  discussed  that 
the  public  is  familiar  with  them;  and 
hence  we  will  devote  only  sufficient 
apace  to  show  the  part  which  the  Bull 
Pen  played  in  the  general  plan  of 
breaking  down  the  union.  Before 
enumerating  the  facts,  it  may  be  said 
that  every  statement  can  be  amply  ver- 
ified by  affidavits. 

Fii*st,  the  miner's  and  their  sympa- 
thizers were  held  for  months,  without 
charges.  During  these  months,  non- 
union men  were  being  imported  Into 
the  district,  and  the  union  men  being 
imprisoned  were  unable  to  explain  the 
facts  to  them,  and  thus  the  mines  were 
manned. 

Second,  the  mine  owners  were  able 
to  secure  the  release,  both  of  their  spies 
and  of  such  experienced  men  as  were 
necessary  to  assist  the  non-union  men 
to  operate  the  mines.  If  they  refused 
to  help  they  were  driven  to  work  at  the 
point  of  a  bayonet. 

Tliird,  the  remainder  of  the  men 
were  held;  every  means  was  employed 
in  the  coroner's  inquest  to  secure  evi- 
dence against  the  innocent  men  which 
would  couple  them  with  a  conspiracy; 
and  their  attorneys  were  not  permitted 
ta  attend  the  inquest. 
Some  of  the  officials  approached  the 
*  families  o^  imprisoned  men  and  told 
them  that  their  husbands,  fathers,  or 
brothers  had  confessed  to  the  crime, 
and  in  this  manner  endeavored  to  lead 
them  to  say  or  do  something  which 
would  incriminate  those  in  prison. 
Women  were  told  that  their  husbands 
were  likely  to  go  to  tlie  penitentiary 
fcr  years,  but  that  if  they  would  yield 
to  criminal  intercourse  their  husbands 
would  be  permitted  to  escape.  Soldiers 
and  officers  went  to  the  homes  of  men 
who  were  imprisoned  and  insulted  the 
wives  and  daughters. 

Thus,  with  the  innocent  men  In 
prison,  and  with  the  spies  already  re- 
leased, they  proceeded  to  blind  the  puTd- 


lic  by  conducting  a  coroner's  Inquest 
for  six  weeks  and  by  drawing  a  special 
grand  jury  who  would  do  their  bidding 
and  would  only  indict  those  suggested 
by  the  Mine  Owners'  Association. 

The  evidence  of  this  appears  in  the 
fact  that,  of  all  the  men  indicted,  not 
one  worked  for  Joe  McDonald.  Yet  it 
was  from  McDonald's  camp  that  the 
men  came  who  took  command  on  April 
29.  It  was  at  his  camp  that  the  men 
were  told  to  mask  and  arm.  It  was 
arms.  It  was  from  his  powder  house 
that  the  dynamite  was  taken.  Noonan 
was  believed  to  have  been  the  man 
who  ordered  the  men  to  mask  and  arm 
themselves;  he  was  released  from  the 
Bull  Pen  by  the  influence  of  Joe  Mc- 
Donald, and,  within  a  few  weeks,  wa* 
given  the  position  of  shift  boss  in  Mc- 
Donald's mine.  And  yet,  neithet  he 
nor  any  other  person  who  worked  for 
McDonald  was  indicted.  Guilt  is  writ- 
ten on  the  face  of  the  act  The  only 
reason  we  can  see  for  such  actions  is 
that  It  was  uncertain  just  whom  the 
spies  had  used  and  who  might  turn 
State's  evidence.  ^   ,_  _ 

THE  TRIAL  JURY.       I    i 

Now  that  the  grand  jury  had  doL»e 
its  criminal  work,  by  indicting  only 
those  designated  by  the  mine  owners 
who  conducted  the  secret  coroner's  in- 
quest, it  remained  only  to  provide  and 
"fix"  a  trial  jury,  which  would  convict 
the  indicted  men,  regardless  of  the  evi- 
dence. 

This  was  done  by  permitting  Mr. 
Sutherland  to  draw  the  jury.  He  it 
was  who  led  a  mob  to  hang  a  man  in 
Lewiston,  Idaho,  some  years  ago,  and 
now  he  was  cnosen  to  lead,  under  the 
shadow  of  the  law,  another  mob  of 
twelve  men,  all  personal  friends, 
chosen  by  himself  to  pronounce  sen- 
tence upon  innocent  men  He  was  not 
the  jury.  The  evidence  appears  in 
the  following  affidavits: 
I. 

In  the  District  Court  of  the  First  Judlolal 
District  of  the  State  of  Idaho,   in   and  for 
the  County  of  Shoshone. 
State  of  Idaho,  Plaintiff, 

vs. 
Paul   Corcoran,    Defendant. 

Affidavit  of  Richard  Carey  !u  supii'ii.  of 
a  motion  for  a  new  txial. 

State  of  Idaho, 
County  of  Kootenia,  ss, 

Richard  Carey,  being  duly  sworn,  deposes 
and  says  that  he  is  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  attU  a   citizen  and  resident   of   tJho 


-27- 


Btate  of  MftKo,  fbr  the  pftgt  etght  yean. 

That  on  or  about  the  first  day  of  June, 
A.  D.  1899.  Link  Smith,  a  man  well  and 
peraoDally  known  to  affiant,  and  who  waa 
later  summond  for  Jury  duty,  and  served  as 
a  Juror  on  th«»  jury  that  conrlcted  the  de- 
fpdant  PanI  Corcoran,  called  at  his  bouse  at 
the  old  mission,  County  of  Kootenia,  Stat© 
of  Idaho,  and  fully  discussed  the  mining 
troubles  of  the  Copur  d*  Alenes,  and  the 
trials  that  were  expected  to  begin  In  m 
short  time,  with  affiant  and  his  wife. 

That  dnrliif  said  discussion.  Mr.  Smith  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  punish  all  the  members 
Of  the  IMlners"  Union  of  the  Coeur  d'AIenes. 
regardless  of  their  guilt  or  Innocence,  and 
particularly  mentioned  the  names  of  J,  R. 
Sovereign,  Edward  Boyce,  and  Paul  Corco- 
ran, as  men  that  he  would  like  to  see 
banged  wlthont  delay. 

Affiant  says  that  he  Is  In  no  way  reloted 
to  the  defendant.  Paul  Corcoran,  that  he 
has  never  seen  or  met  biro. 

That  he  has  never  communicated  the 
facts  and  circumstances  above  set  forth,  to 
the  above  named  defendant  or  to  any  of 
his  attorneys  until  the  present  time.  Nor 
did  he  until  the  30th  day  of  December. 
A.  D.  1809.  that  said  Information  would  b« 
of  any  use  or   value   to  him. 

That  he  has  no  Interest  therein  other 
than  a  desire  to  see  Justice  done  In  the 
premises.     Further  affiant   saith  not. 

RICHARD  CARET. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this 
^'l  day  of  January,  A.   D.   1^)0. 

J.   S.   DALT, 

Tastice  of  the  Pea»e  for  precinct  County 
Shoshone,   State  of  Idaho. 


called  for  In  «mpanelT!ng  the  Jury  fu  the 
trial  of  the  above  cause. 

That  affiant  Cbas.  B.  Bender  waa  a  mem- 
ber of  the  grand  jury  that  Indicted  the 
above  defendant,  and  Is  running  a  corpora- 
tion or  company  grocery  store. 

That  C.  D.  Potter,  and  W.  W.  Haft,  are 
engaged  In  the  hardware  boslnesa.  and  con- 
nected with  the  mining  companies  In  sal<! 
business. 

That  affiant  O.  D.  Jones  has  an  arrange^ 
ment  with  the  mining  companies  where  all 
moneys  owln^-  to  him  by  their  employees  It 
deducted  from  their  wages  and  paid  direct 
to  him:  and  that  all  the  signers  of  the 
■ffldarlts  filed  as  aforesaid  are  Intense  par- 
tisans, and  biased  in  favor  of  the  pros»-cn- 
tlon,  and  against  the  defendant  in  ths 
shore  cause. 

FRED  W.  WALTON. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  thll 
2d  day  of  January.  A.  D.  1900. 

H.    M.    DAVENPORT, 

Notary  Public  in  and  for  the  County  of 
Of  Shoshone,   State  of  Id«h«. 


.  \  '"• 


State  of  Maho, 

County  of  Shoshone,  ss. 

A.    O'Donnell,  being  duly  sworn,  deposes 

and  says,  that  he  has  read  the  first  above 

affid.nvit  and  that  the  facts  and  statements 

therein  contained  are  true. 

A.   O'DONNELL. 
Subscribed  and  sworn   to  before  me  thlg 
2d  day  of  January,  A.   D.  1900. 

H.    M.    DAVENPORT, 
Notary     PnMIc     in     and     for     Shoshone 
County,  State  of  Idaho. 


II. 

In  the  District  Court  of  the  First  Judicial 
District  of  the  State  of   Idaho,  in  and  for 
the   County  of  ShoRhone. 
State  of  Idaho,   Plaintiff. 

vs. 
Paul  Corcoran.  Defendant. 

Aftidavlt  In  support  of  a  motion  for  a 
new  trijil. 

State  of  Idaho. 
County  of  Shoshone,  ss. 

Fred  W.  Walton,  being  first  duly  sworn, 
deposes  and  says  that  he  is  a  citljien  of  the 
United  States,  and  a  clti«en  and  resident 
Of  the  State  of  Idaho.  That  he  has  read 
the  affidavits  filed  In  behnlf  of  the  prosecu- 
tion, by  Frank  F.  Johnson.  W.  W.  Woods. 
C.  W.  fJlbbs.  Chns.  E.  Itender.  Ornnd  D. 
Potter.  Wlllinm  W.  Hart,  and  knows  that 
I'rnnk   F.  Johnson,  is   a  banker  doing  busl- 

ss    almost    exclusively    with    the    mining 

inpnnles.  and  was  a  member  of  the  gr.ind 
jury  that  Indicted  the  defendant  in  the 
above  entitled   eause. 

rhat  W.  W.  Woods  Is  ret.nined  as  an  at- 
ney  by  several  of  the  minin?  corpora- 
tions, that  are  assisting  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  the  .Tbne  cause,  and  that  he.  and 
sfT  nt  C.  W.  Olbbs.  were  alw.Tys  chosen 
hj  ike  court   to  act  wbcneyer  trials   were 


IV. 

In  the  District  Court  of  the  P!i*t  Jndlclal 
District  of   the  State   of  Idaho,  in   for  the 
County  of  Shoshone. 
State  of  Idaho,  Plaintiff, 

vs. 
Paul   Corcoran.  Defendant. 

Affidavit  of  Pat  Kennedy  and  John  SeI1«f 
in  support  of  a  motion  for  a  new  trInL 
State   of  Idaho, 
County  of  Shoshone,  s«. 

Pat  Kennedy,  being  duly  sworn,  upon 
oath  deposes  and  says  that  he  is  a  cittsen 
of  the  United  States,  and  a  cltisen  and  resi- 
dent of  the  State  of  Idaho. 

That  he  h.^s  read  the  affidavit  of  Peter 
Ilolihan,  filed  in  the  above  cause,  and  so 
far  as  the  said  affidavit  relates  to  the  trip 
with  the  Jury,  to  the  saloon  of  Theo  Jamels- 
son  accompanied  by  Attorney  F.  C.  Robert- 
son, it  is  not  true. 

That  after  the  jury  were  discharged  in 
the  above  cause.  Peter  Hollhan.  alone  took 
them  to  the  said  saloon. 
That  In  company  with  John  Kelley,  sSant 
stood  discussing  the  verdict  In  front  of  the 
law  office  of  Walter  Jones,  snd  saw  them 
g<»  to  the   aforesaid  saloon. 

Xhat  in  about  one-half  hoar  W.  C  BoteiJ* 


-28- 


ion  ana  Peter  Breen  came  along,  and  ask«d 
where  th«  jury  had  gone  to? 

When  tbe  desired  information  was  given 
by  aflSant,  affiant  and  his  companion,  John 
Kelley,  were  ijivited  by  Mr.  Robertson  to 
accompany  him  and  Mr.  Breen  to  the 
saioon  of  the  said  Jameisson. 

That  at  the  thne  of  their  arriral,  a  ma- 
jority of  said  jhirors  were  in  an  advanced 
at&ge  of  intoxication. 

Peter  HoUhan  was  treating,  when  affiant 
and  companions  arrived,  and  aslied  all 
hands  to  have  a  drink  with  him.  The  invi- 
tation was  accepted,  and  after  setting  down 
his  glass,  Mr.  Bullock,  grasping  Peter  Holi- 
han  by  the  hand,  said:  "You  big,  bald- 
faced  son  of  a  b— h,  I  like  y«u,  you  treated 
us  boys  fin*  since  we  hav€  been  on  this 
Jury;  you  furnished  ns  with  all  the  liquor 
we  could  drink,  and  all  the  cigars  we  could 
smoke,  and  we  have  no  kick  coming  on  you 
fellows." 

After  the  Jury  returned  from  breakfast, 
affiant  went  into  Jerome's  saloon  with  Mr, 
Kelley  and  Mr.  Breen;  while  drinking 
Juror  Thomas  came  in,  and  was  invited  by 
Mr.  Breen  to  take  a  drink.  The  invitation 
was  accepted,  and  after  drinking  the  fol- 
lowing conversation  took  place: 

Q,:  "Was  that  your  verdict,  Mr. 
ThomasT'  A.:  "According  to  the  court's 
instructions,  we  should  either  hang  or  ac- 
quit him.'* 

Q,:  "Did  you  give  much  credence  to  the 
testimony  of  Ben  Strlngham?"  A.:  "No, 
It  was  vei-y  Indefinite." 

Q.:  "What  did  you  think  of  the  evidence 
given  by  the  Montana  convict,  A.  M.  St. 
Clare?"  A.:  "We  did  not  consider  his  evi- 
dence at  all." 

Q. :  "Was  there  a  chance  of  the  Col- 
burns  and  John  Clark  being  mistaken?"  A.: 
"Yes;  it  is  a  pi'etty  safe  guess  i'nat  they 
were  mistaken"  Q. :  'Did  you  think  that 
any  man  would  be  fool  enough  to  mask  in 
the  way  that  Mrs.  Sinclair  said  that  Cor- 
coran did  on  that  occasion?"  A.:  "No.  I 
think  her  evidence  was  colored." 

Q.:  "Then  ycaj  do  not  believe  any  of  the 
witnesses  t^at  claimed  to  see  Mr.  Cor- 
coran on  that  date,  and  yet  you  wanted  to 
hang  him  What  were  you  basing  your 
verdict  upon?"  A.:  "Well,  some  one  blew 
up  the  mill,  and  I  was  a  soldier  during  the 
Civil  War,  and  many  a  time  when  we  were 
traveling  on  freight  trains  we  used  to 
sleep  on  the  toi"  of  the  box  care,  and  the 
trainmen  wonlrr  not  let  us  lie  on  the  run- 
ning boards  either,  and  we  never  rolled  off, 
and  I  told  the  boys  that  a  man  could  ride 
the  way  they  said  Corcoran  rode  on  that 
day." 

Affiant  further  says  that  he  !s  In  no  way 
related  to  the  dofenrlant,  Paul  Corcoran, 

That  he  did  not  mention  his  knowledge  of 
the  above  facts  to  the  defendant,  Paul  Cor- 
coran, or  to  any  of  his  attorneys  until  r?- 
cent  date.  Nor  has  he  any  interest  therein 
other  than  a  desire  to  see  justice  done  in 
tbe  premises. 


Further  affiant  salth  not. 

PAT  KENNEDY. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this 
second  day  of  January,   A.  D.,   1900. 

(SEAL.)  E.  M.  DAVENPORT. 

Notary  Public  In  and  for  Shoshone  Coun- 
ty, State  of  Idaho. 

State  of  Idaho 
County  of  Shoshone,  ss. 

John  Kelley,  being  first  duly  sworn,  upon 
oath  deposes  and  says  that  he  is  one  of  the 
parties  mentioned  in  the  above  affidavit. 

That  he  has  read  the  same,  and  knows 
that  the  statements  contained  therein  are 
true.  JOHN  KELLEY. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this 
second  day  of  January,   A,  D.,   1900. 

H.  M.  DAVENPORT, 

Notary  Public  In  and  for  Shoshone  Coun- 
ty, State  of  Idaho. 

Thus  while  the  public  was  deceived 
into  believing  that  the  men  were  being 
tried  by  twelve  honest  jurors,  the  facts 
would  indicate  that  the  mine  owners 
were  certain  that  a  verdict  of  guilty 
would  be  rendered,  regardless  of  all 
evidence.  And  the  fact  that  one  of  the 
mine  owners  told  Mr.  Hamilton,  of  the 
San  Francisco  "Examiner,"  that  they 
would  "fix  the  jury,"  confirms  this 
view  beyond  much  question.  Thus  were 
innocent  miners  led  to  the  slaughter 
and  the  guilty  and  their  accessories 
went  free.  Thus  has  lawful  prosecu- 
tion disapepared,  and  persecution  has 
become  a  burning  cancer  in  the  heart 
of  the  Coeur  d'Alene. 

During  all  this  time,  there  was  a  per- 
mit system  in  operation,  and  all  union 
men  who  secured  work,  or  even  sought 
work,  were  compelled  to  sign  the  fol- 
lowing application  for  a  permit  to  seek 
employment: 

ABpllcafioD  for  Um  to  M  Eiimloy- 
leDtinltieMiiiesofSliosloneCo. 

To  Dr.  H.  France,  State  Representative: 

Sir.— I  hereby  make  application  for  issu- 
ance to  me  of  a  permit,  allowing  me  to  seek 
employment  in  the  mines  of  Shoshone  Coun- 
ty.    I  am  a    by  occupation. 

I  am  a  native  of and  am  a 

citizen  of  the  United  States. 

I  last  worked  at  the   

mine  in  My  shift  boss  was 

Heretofore  I    have    been    a    member    of 

Miners'  Union.      I 

did  not  participate  actively  or  otherwise 
in  the  riots  which  took  place  at  Wardncr 
on  the  29th  of  April,  1899.  Believing  that 
the  crimes  committed  at  Warduer  on  said 
date  were  actively  incited,  encouraged  and 
perpetrated  through  and  by  means  of  the 
influence  and  direction  of  the  Miners' 
Unions  of  the  Coeur  d'Alenes,  I  hereby  ex- 


-29— 


press  my  nnquallfled  dfiwpproTal  of  said 
ts,  and  hereby  renouuce  and  forever  ab- 
re  all  allei;iauce  to  the  said  Miuors' 
ilou,  of  which  I  was  a  former  member, 
'J  I  solemnly  pledge  myself  to  obey  the 
w  and  uot  to  ngalu  seek  membership  lu 
y  society  which  will  eucourage  or  toler- 
•  auy  violation  of  law. 


ited  this day  of 


,180. 


The  following   was   signed    by  non- 
union men: 

APPLICATION  FOR   PERMIT. 

l>r.     Hugh    Prance,    State    Itepresenta- 
\v.   W«rdner,   Idaho:— 

Sir— I  hereby  make  application  for  Iss«- 
•e  to  me  of  a  permit  to  seek  employment 
the  mines  of  Shoshone  County,  Idaho, 
have  not  been  nor  am  I  now  a  member 
auy  miners'  union.  I  took  no  part  either 
ively  or  passively  In  aiding,  assisting  or 
ouraglng  the  perpetration  of  the  crimes 
umltted    at    Wardner  on   April   29,    1899, 

•-  >lemnly  pledge  myself  to  obey  the  law. 

occupation    Is    

m citizen  of  the  United  States. 

an  a  native  of  

ast  worked  at  

employer  was 

Idaho 1899. 

...  Deputy. 


OBJECT   OF  PERHaiT  SYSTEM. 

riuis  the  mine  ownera.  backed  by- 
Lit  ial  law,  were  able  to  say  who 
lUld  seek  work  in  that  country, 
lon  the  mine  owners  so  desired,  the 
luits  would  be  granted.  Whenever 
ion  men  could  be  replaced  by  others 
iipetont  to  do  the  work,  the  permits 
uld  be  revoked,  and  the  men  could 
longer  work  in  that  district.  In  the 
nth  of  December,  1899,  more  than 
permits  were  revoked.  If  these  men 
re  criminals,  why  were  they  per- 
tod  to  work?  If  they  were  believed 
lie  upright  men,  and  afterwards  dis- 
t'red  to  be  criminals,  why  were  they 
arrested?  If  they  were  not  crimi- 
K.  why  were  they  not  permitted  to 
itinue   work? 

I  any  of  these  men  who  were  not  per- 
ted  to  work  lu  the  mines,  began  to 
»'lop  their  own  claims:  they  were 
1  that  they  had  no  permits  to  work, 
!  that  unle.ss  they  desisted  they 
lid  be  thrown  Into  prison.  But  if 
y  were  guilty,  why  were  they  not 
•sted  regardless  of  th"  ♦''^"«  that 
y  were  working? 

here  can  be  but  one  aiiswii  i.-  ilu\««e 

<tlons:    The  mine  owners,  contrary 

L    aU  law  and  justice,  were  cnUeavdr- 


lug  to  break  down  the  onion,  regard 
less  of  who  were  Innocent  or  guilty. 
To  euspect  a  man  wa^  sufficient  cause 
for  persecution.  In  the  CJceur  d'AIenes 
the  rights  of  men  have  fallen,  and  upon 
the  ruins  capital  has  reared  Its  king- 
dom; and  the  political  and  judicial 
powers  of  the  goyernment  are  culpably 
lending  their  support.  The  following 
aliidavit,  a  typical  caae,  best  rt>ow8  the 
criminal  spirit  of  persecution  that  pre- 
vailed: .   u 

•'{••V'''*      state  tf  Itfafto, 

County  of  8h<»lion«. 
A.  A.  Hammer,  being  Irst  duly  sworn, 
deposes  ajid  says:  Tbat  on  the  9th  day  oi 
May,  1890,  he  was  arrested  la  the  town  of 
Mullan,  and  on  same  day  was  released  on 
condltioa  that  he  wouid  not  Leav«  the  coun- 
ty. He  Is  a  married  man  ftB4  bAS  a  wif« 
and  four  children  to  support.  Th«  State 
authorities  have  forbidden  him  to  lea-re  the 
State,  and  have  refused  him  a  permit  to 
seek  employment,  thereby  depriving  him  of 
the  privileges  to  support  hia  femlly.  Dur- 
ing the  last  eight  months  he  has  be«i  com- 
pelled to  live  off  the  comjoalssary  o/the  la- 
bor organIz.it Ions,  which  supplied  union 
men  and  their  famlltcs  In  the  town  of 
Mullan,  above  county  and  State.  He  was 
bom  tn  Orion,  Henry  County,  Illinois,  A«^ 
1,  1858.  A.  A-  HAMMER. 

Subscribed  and   sworn  to  before  me   tbM 
17th  day  of  January,  1900. 

E.  J.  FIiANAGAN, 
Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Mullan  Precinct. 
Still  fearing  that  union  men  might  be 
working  in  the  camp,  and  that  an  feffort 
to  reduce  wages  might  arouse  tbem  to 
action,  the  mine  owners  presented  the 
following  petition  to  be  aigned  by  tlie 
miners: 
To    the     Honorable    Secwtaiy     ^    WT, 
Washington,  D.  C.:— 

Dear  Sir.— We.  the  nndersifrned,  dtI«eo« 
of  the  CoeoT  d'Alene  Mining  District,  of 
Shoshone  County,  State  of  Idaho,  do  hereby 
most  respectfully  petition  yoa,  as  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  to  allow  the  small  force  of 
Federal  troops  to  reoMln  in  *ht  quarters 
prepared  for  and  occupied  by  them,  at  the 
town  of  Oftlmrne,  In  this  Connty,  for  a»  loag 
n  term  as  Governor  Steuaenberg,  of  oxir 
State,  may  think  their  presence  necofSitry, 
for  the  preservation  of  i>euce  and  order,  and 
we.  as  citizens  of  this  District,  and  of  tho 
State  of  Idaho,  desire  to  take  this  oppor- 
tunity to  express  our  approval  of  all  the 
acts  that  have  been  dene  by  the  Qoveruor 
and  other  ofllclnls  of  our  State,  to  preserve 
peace  und  order  nnd  to  bring  criminals  to 
JustU'e.  Some  of  the  nets  of  the  State  uu- 
thorltles.  In  thin  connection,  may  appear,  to 
people  at  a  distance,  as  drastic  and  aeverc, 
bat  we,  who  know  the  desperate  coadltiond 
that  existed,  fur  several  years,  prior  to  Lbo 
deo':irnt!on  of  martini  law  lastt  May,  know 
tJuu   dntatH  m«aauce«  wex«   uec€s«irj[   to 


•-SO-i 


stop  a  hand  of  conspirators  who.  shielding 
themselves  behind  the  name  of  labor  orgart- 
izatlons,  had  created  a  reign  of  terror  and 
tyranny  seldom  equalled  in  the  history  of 
any  community  and  we  beg  to  state  that 
the  efforts  of  the  governor,  and  the  State 
oificials,  assisted  by  the  military  authorities 
have  brought  peace  and  good  order  to  our 
District,  and  have  given  an  impetus  to  all 
business  interests,  and  a  sense  of  safety  to 
our  people,  which  is  highly  appreciated  and 
for  which  we  are  very  grateful. 

The  capitalists  believed  that  the 
miners  would  not  sign  such  a  document 
and  in  this  way  they  could  not  deter- 
mine how  many  and  who  were  still 
union  men.  The  majority  signed  the 
document  through  fear  of  losing  their 
positions;  many  others  refused  to  sign 
and  were  discharged. 

When  I  asked  Joseph  McDonald  if 
any  who  were  working  for  him  had  re- 
fused to  sign,  he  answered:  "Only 
two;  and  they  quit  of  their  own  ac- 
cord." 

I  asked  him  if  he  had  discharged  any 
because  they  would  not  sign,  and  he 
answered:  "No.  That  he  did  not  care. 
He  only  wanted  th^  public  opinion  as 
it  was." 

Not  ten  minutes  previous  to  this  con- 
versation. I  had  left  twelve  men  who 
had  been  discharged  by  the  firm  be- 
cause they  would  not  sign  the  petition, 
and  I  had  in  ray  pocket  a  number  of 
affidavits  to  that  effect  made  by  the 
men.  Eighteen  men  were  discharged 
by  the  firm  at  one  time  for  this  very 
reason.  Thus  Mr.  McDonald  is  shown 
to  possess  the  instincts  of  Ananias 
to  a  remarkably  large  degree. 

When  I  asked  Mr.  Burbage  how  he 
would  look  upon  a  man  who  would  re- 
fuse to  sign  the  petition,  he  said:  "I 
must  confess  that  I  would  look  upon 
him  with  some  suspicion."  "Do  you 
not  think  your  employee  would  know 
this?"  "No  doubt,"  said  he.  "Would 
he  not  probably  sign  it  for  this  rea- 
son.** "Well,  perhaps  he  would,"  said 
Mr.  Burbage." 

Is  a  paper  signed  under  such  coer- 
cion really  a  petition?  And  is  it  fair 
to  send  it  out  to  the  world  as  such? 

The  document  was  sent  out  as  a  peti- 
tion, signed  with  the  names  of  these 
two  men— Mr.  McDonald  and  Mr.  Bur- 
bage—and  of  those  whom  t  hey 
had  coerced  through  fear  of  los- 
ing their  positions.  Doubtless  many 
who  signed  were  willing  to  do 
eo;  but  the  majority  signed  through 
tear.    And  thus  the  Mine  Owners'  As- 


sociation h'oped,  by  the  a!c!  of  martial 
law,  to  determine  who  among  the 
miners  were  still  in  sympathy  with  the 
union. 

There  was  a  three-fold  purpose  in 
presenting  this  petition  at  this  particu- 
lar time. 

The  first  was  to  keep  up  the  public 
belief  that  the  Miners'  Union  was  a 
criminal  organization,  by  prevailing 
upon  the  present  miners  to  sign  their 
names  to  a  document,  which  indorsed 
all  the  criminal  acts  of  the  State  and 
Federal  authorities  since  April  29. 

The  second  was  to  determine  who 
were  union  sympathizers,  and  to  dis- 
charge them  and  starve  them  out  of 
the  county,  to  the  end  that  they  could 
not  vote. 

The  third  was  to  determine  the  fore- 
going fact,  and  to  import  non-union 
men  to  take  the  places  of  the  men  dis- 
charged before  the  first  of  March,  in 
order  that  those  who  were  imported 
might  arrive  in  time  to  become  citizens, 
and  thus  have  a  right  to  a  vote  in  the 
fall  elections. 

Thus  the  mine  owners  hoped  to  run 
the  union  men  out  of  the  Coeur 
d'Alenes,  and  thereby  to  desti-oy  the 
union,  which  was  the  only  power  that 
prevented  the  lowering  of  wages  and 
the  political  supremacy  of  the  capital- 
ists. 

That  this  fact  might  be  concealed 
from  the  public,  the  mine  owners  pro- 
claimed themselves  to  be  in  favor  of 
labor  unions.  They  accordingly  organ- 
ized a  new  union  (?),  known  as  the 
"Industrial  Union  of  America."  To 
membership  in  this  organization  the 
miners,  the  mine  owners,  the  mer- 
chants and  every  one  "directly  or  indi- 
rectly dependent  upon  mining,"  is  ad- 
missable.  It  is  needless  to  point  out 
the  fact  that  such  an  organization 
could  be  nothing  more  than  a  political 
scheme— for  what  man  would  dare 
speak  in  favor  of  the  miners  as  against 
the  mine  owners,  while  both  parties 
were  present.  To  say  one  such  word 
would  be  industrial  suicide  to  the 
speaker. 

Thus  these  honorable  and  very  re- 
spectable mine  owners  deceived  the 
public  by  leading  them  to  believe  that 
this  political  club  is  a  workingmeu's 
union,  and  also  that  they  (the  mii*e 
owners),  favor  unions,  and  are  only 
opposed  to  the  Miners'  Union  because 
"it  is  composed  of  criminals," 


-81- 

CHAr^TER   VI. 


In  surveying:  the  field  of  battle,  it 
will  Ix*  reraembored  that  the  first  gun. 
was  fired  by  the  B.  H.  &  S.  Co.  In  1887, 
against  the  unorganized  workingmen. 
At  that  time  the  miners  were  produc- 
ing 1112,000  a  month  over  and  above 
all  expenses  other  than  wages.  Of 
this  amount  $42,000  yms  kept  by  the 
miners  at  the  rate  of  SS-.W  a  day,  while 
the  remaining  $60,000  was  turned  over 
to  the  company  as  monthly  dividends. 

The  stockholders,  however,  were  not 
satisfied  with  the  lion's  share,  and  they 
accordingly  decided  that  the  miners 
should  keep  only  $30,000  Instead  of 
$42,000  out  of  their  monthly  product 
This  little  change  would  have  in- 
creased the  monthly  dividends  from 
$G0.000  to  $70,000.  This  could  be  ef- 
fected by  reducing  the  wa^es  of  the 
400  men  Vrom  $3..50  to  $2.50  a  day. 

Having  decided  that  the  miners 
should  keep  $30,000  each  month  and 
that  the  company  should  take  $72,000 
each  montta  out  of  the  $112,000  pro- 
duced, they  accordingly  posted  notices 
In  conspicuous  places  to  the  effect  that 
on  and  after  a  certain  date  wages 
would  be  reduced  to  $2.50  a  day. 

That  caused  a  strike  and  resulted  In 
the  organization  of  a  miners'  union. 
When  the  strike  occurred  the  mine 
shut  down;  the  miners  could  not  draw 
wages,  and  neither  could  the  mine 
owners  draw  dividends. 

The  question  then  arose  whether  the 
miner  drew  his  wagfs  from  the  com- 
pany or  whether  the  stockholders 
urew  their  dividends  from  the  miners. 
It  soon  became  apparent  to  both  par- 
ties that  the  miners  had  not  only  pro- 
duced the  dividends,  but  that  they  had 
produced  their  own  wages,  too. 

It  was  then  seen  that  if  a  decrease 
of  wages  meant  an  Increase  in  divi- 
dends, an  increa.se  in  wages  mean  a 
decrease  in  dividends.  Thus  the  mine 
owners  fought  for  a  lai-ger  proportion 
of  the  miners'  product  by  reducing 
wages;  while  the  miners  struggled  to 
keep  a  larger  proportion  of  their  own 
product  by  holding  up  their  wages. 
The  l)one  of  contention,  therefore,  was 
the  product  and  the  line  of  battle  was 
drawn  at  the  rate  of  wages. 

The  first  .«Ulrnilsh  which  resulted  In 
the  organization  of  a  miners'  wnUm 
which  successfully  doft'uded  the  $.">50 
ecnlo     was     soon     followed     by     otlxT 


precisely  the  same  results.  Every  eon- 
test  brought  out  the  fact  tliat  the  pow- 
er of  the  union  was  far  superior  to 
that  of  the  company. 

And  at  the  same  time  erery  contest 
was  accompanied  with  Dew  develop- 
ments untiU  in  the  year  1891  and  a^^aln 
in  1809,  there  waa  seen  on  the  one 
hand  a  Mine  Owners'  Association,  and 
on  tlie  other  a  Federated  Miners'  Un- 
ion of  the  Cceur  d'Alene©.  Face  to 
face,  these  two  forces  were  ready  for 
battle.  The  power  of  the  union  exist- 
ed in  the  muscles  of  the  men.  The 
power  of  the  association  existed  in  the 
accumulated  dividends  which  they  had 
tiken  out  of  the  miners'  products,  or, 
rather,  extracted  from  the  muscles  of 
the  men— together  Tvith  the  more  im- 
portant power  of  the  state,  npou  wblcb 
they  could  call  for  help. 

The  reason  of  this  latter  Is,  fbat  capi- 
tal is  an  Institution  recognized  by  the 
laws  of  this  country.  This  capital, 
which  Ls  accumulated  dividends,  is 
taxed.  The  taxes  support  the  army 
and  the  army  protects  the  capltil. 
Thus  the  worker  is  suppressed  by  the 
army  which  is  supported  from  his  pro- 
ducts. ^^  '  '''"  '  '' 

Though  the^  many  laborers,  when 
united  in  any  locality,  are  more  power- 
ful than  the  few  capitalists  together 
with  their  capital,  as  has  been  proven 
on  numerous  fields  of  battle;  yet  so 
long  as  capital  is  a  legal  Institution, 
the  capitalist  can  call  upon  the  entire 
nation  to  protect  the  capital  wTiIch  he 
possesses  as  against  those  who  pro- 
duced it  It  is  evident  therefore  that 
the  workmen  throughout  the  country, 
though  they  protest  produce  the 
wealth  which  supports  the  army 
which  suppresses  the  workers  In  the 
various  localities  when  dilBcultles 
arise.  The  power  of  the  capitalist, 
therefore,  arises,  first,  from  that  por- 
tion of  tlie  product  which  he  takes 
from  the  worker,  and.  second,  from 
the  protection  which  this  very  capital 
receives  at  the  hands  of  the  law  as 
against  the  producer.  The  capital  Is 
drawn  from  the  workers'  produce,  tht 
political  power,  frona  the  workenT 
vote. 

The  worker  cannot  hope  to  win  his 
liberty  and  at  the  same  time  continue 
to  support  the  laws  which  preserrs 
the  Industrial  system  that  cnwhes  hint. 
ill  coiiUuuius  such  »upji^L'.tt  tii«  wori^ 


•-92- 


%T  enslaves  Mmself.  Every  stroke  of 
work  produces  more  products,  more 
dividends,  for  the  capitalists.  Tliis 
Increases  their  power  and  puts  the 
worker  tn  a  relatively  worse  position. 
Under  our  present  system  the  worker 
exists  only  as  food  for  capital,  whereas 
capital  should  exist  only  as  food  for 
the  wt)rkers.  The  workingmen  of  this 
country  as  well  as  the  capitalists  axe 
paying:  more  respect  to  capital  than 
to  th«k  man  who  produces  it 

The  economic  question  will  not  be 
solved  until  the  reverse  is  true — until 
the  rights  of  men  are  more  respected 
than  the  rights  of  property.  It  de- 
pends upon  the  working  class  to  bring 
this  about.  If  the  mechanic  does  not 
respect  himself  more  than  he  respects 
the  shovel  he  makes,  but  continues 
worshipping  the  shevel  simply  be- 
cause it  is  capital,  then  the  capitalist 
W^o  owns  it,  will  certainly  pay  his 
respects  to  the  shovel,  and  his  con- 
tempt to  the  mechanic. 

But  when  the  workers  once  recog- 
nize that  they  are  the  fountains  from 
vhich  all  capital  springs;  that  their  in- 
terests are  identical  as  aga.inst  the 
capitalist  class;  that  the  power  of  the 
capitalist  class  increases  in  proportion 
as  they  lower  the  wages  of  the  work- 
ing class;  that,  notwithstanding  their 
wealth,  the  local  capitalists  are  but 
pygmies  in  the  hands  of  their  employ- 
ers in  any  contest;  that,  were  all  the 
workers  united  in  every  district,  their 
power  would  be  supreme;  that  the  po- 
litical power  now  used  against  the 
workers  is  only  so  used  because  the 
working  class  is  divided  and  does  not 
know  its  power  nor  recognize  its  com- 
mon economic  and  political  interests; 
when  they  recogni^je  these  facts,  they 
will  see  that  they  «an  draw  the  politi- 
cal lines  where  the  unions  draw  the 
Industrial  lines,  leaving  on  the  one 
hand  a  few  capitalists  to  vote  against 
the  millions  of  workers  on  the  other. 

The  mines  of  the  Coeur  d'Alenes 
would  be  converted  into  common  prop- 
erty. Instead  of  reducing  the  wages 
from  $3.50  to  $2.50,  adding  $700,000 
aJinually  to  the  $8,000,000  already  be- 
ing divided  among  the  idle  stockhold- 
CBS,  they  would  turn  all  the  millions 
back  into  the  pockets  of  the  workers. 

So  also  would  all  the  mines  of  the 
country  become  common  property  and 
the  proceeds  would  belong  to  tlie 
workers.  So  also  with  the  plant  of  the 
Standard  Oil  Company.  We  would  not 
lea?^  tkat  in  ftrJYate  han^  and  gije. 


to  the  owners  $80,000,000  each  year. 
Nor  to  the  Carnegie  Steel  Company 
would  we  give  $40,000,00  each  year. 
But  those  plants  would  become  social 
institutions,  and  the  millions  now  de- 
clared as  dividends  would  be  returned 
to  the  workers  to  whom  they  right- 
fully belong.  So  also  with  the  rail- 
roads, the  land,  the  factories— in  short, 
all  productive  capital  would  be  con- 
verted into  common  property,  the  in- 
divisible heritage  of  the  people,  and 
products  should  belong  to  the  producer. 

Men  would  no  longer  be  used  for 
making  capital,  but  wealth  would  be 
used  for  making  men.  Our  rela- 
tions would  be  changed.  We  would 
no  longer  respect  money,  but 
would  respect  each  other  and  respect 
ourselves.  The  curse  of  Esau  would 
be  removed.  We  would  no  longer  sell 
our  birthright  for  a  mess  of  pottage, 
a  paltry  wage.  Every  man  would 
gather  all  the  fruit  with  which  Na- 
ture would  reward  him  for  his  labor. 

Workingmen,  it  is  your  cause;  it  is 
you  and  your  families  who  are  bearing 
the  burdens  of  this  world.  It  is  you 
who  have  suffered  in  the  struggle  in 
the  Cceur  d'Alenes  and  in  all  the  labor 
wars  of  the  world.  It  is  you  who  have 
the  power  to  rivet  your  chjiins  tighter 
upon  you  or  to  break  them  asunder.  It 
is  for  you  to  say  whether  you  will 
unite  with  your  fellow  men,  with  mu- 
tual interests  in  a  common  cause,  and 
by  the  use  of  your  ballot,  take  posses- 
sion of  your  political  rights,  and  by 
the  power  of  your  votes  abolish  the 
capitalist  system  and  advance  into  the 
Socialist  Co-operative  Commonwealth. 
It  is  for  you  to  say  whether  you  will 
•support  the  capitalist  system  on  the 
backs  of  slaves,  with  the  rights  of  men 
denied,  or  whether  you  will  have  the 
Socialist  system  in  the  hearts  of  men, 
with  the  rights  of  all  maintained. 

In  these  labor  wars  the  powers  that 
rule  have  shown  their  willingness  to 
crush  the  workers.  It  is  for  the  work- 
ing class,  while  they  yet  have  the  bal- 
lot, to  say  whetlier  the  near  future 
shall  see  this  country  a  nation  of 
slaves  or  a  nation  of  free  men.  Work- 
ingmen of  America,  unite  your  trade 
unions:  Unite  in  a  political  party  of 
your  own  class.  Unite  in  your  deter- 
mination to  abolish  the  wage  system 
and  to  estnbli.sh  the  Co-opervtive  Com- 
monwealth. 

"Workingmen,  unite!  You  have 
nothing  to  lose  hut  youi-  chains,  and  a 
world  to  s^ain," 


lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMIIIHI 

'IB  ■■ 

i    low  to  Orjanhe  Locals  of  llie  Social  Democratic  Fart;.    [ 


S  The  Social  Democratic  Party  holds 
S  tluit  all  the  means  of  protluctiou  ami 
Z  trausportation— as  land,  waterworks. 
:  ;,'asworks,  public  highways  on  land 
S  or  water,  mines,  factories,  etc.— are 
S  the  joint  product  of  the  forces  of  na- 
E  ture  and  of  the  energies  of  workers, 
:  past  and  present.  It  follows  from  this 
r  at  every  man  or  woman  who  wishes 
work  ought  to  have  free  access  to 
£  lese  means.  This  can  be  secured 
z  ..Illy  by  making  the  means  of  produc- 
E  »n  and  transportation  the  collective 
:  operty  of  the  people.  To  accomplish 
z      lis  is  the  aim    of    the  Social    Demo- 

1  atic  Party.  The  working  class  is  the 
z  'uly  class  which  has  nothing  to  lose 
5  ;ind  everything  to  gain  by  the  aboll- 

Jtion  of   the  present  capitalist  system 
and  the  establishment  of  the  Co-oper- 
•  ative  Commonwealth  in  its  stead. 
Z      We,  therefore,  call    upon    all    wage 

2  workers,  and  upon  all   other  citizens 
Z  who  recognize  the  justice  of  our  pur- 
se, to    join    the    Social    Democratic 
irty  and  help    to  usher    in    the    Co- 

z       erative  Commonwealth. 

1.     Any  number  of  persons  can  or- 

iiiize  themselves  into  a  branch,  pro- 

iling  they  accept  the  platform   and 

•  onstitutiou   of   the    Party   and   sever 

C  absolutely  all  relations  with  all  other 

5  political  parties. 

S      2.  The  officers  to  be  elected  are: 
Z      a)  Organizer  or  Business  Agent, 
i      h)  Kecording  and  Corresponding  Sec- 
5  retary. 

S     <•)  Financial  Secretary. 
S      il)  Treasurer. 
S      e)  Literature  Agent. 
:      f)  A  Chairman  at  each  meeting. 
:      X  Order  of  business: 
5      a)  Heading  of  the  minutes. 
2      b)  Admission  of  new  members. 
•      c)  Correspondence. 
;     d)  Financial  report. 
5      e)  Report   of   Organizer  or  Business 
2  Agent. 

S     f)  Reports  of  Committees. 
;      g)  Unfinished  busi?"-^-; 
Z      h)  New  business, 

m 

Z  4.  The  amount  of  mouTiiiy  dues  shall 
Z  he  fixed  by  the  Local.  A  monthly  tax 
5  of  10  cents  for  each  member  shall  be 
5  paid  to  the  National  Executive  Com- 
5  mittee  or  to  the  State  Committee. 


5.  A  full  report  of  the  tirst  meeting 
and  a  list  of  all  members  together  with 
10  cents  for  each  member  shall  be 
sent  In,  upon  which  a  charter  will  be 
granted. 

0.  Due-stamps  are  supplied  by  the 
National  Executive  Committee  at  the 
rate  of  10  cents  each;  one  of  these 
.stamps  shall  be  affixed  to  each  mem- 
ber's card  upon  the  payment  of  each 
month's  dues  as  fixed  by  the  Local, 
and  shall  serve  as  receipts  for  the  pay- 
ment of  dues. 

7.  Each  Local  shall  hold  a  business 
meeting  at  least  once  a  month,  as  well 
as  .semi-monthly  meetings  for  the  dis- 
cussion of  political  and  economic  ques- 
tions. 

s.  Semi-annual  reports  of  the  mem- 
bership and  the  financial  condition  of 
each  local,  as  well  as  upon  the  pro- 
gress made  by  the  Party  and  its  pros- 
pects In  the  locality,  shall  be  sent  regu- 
larly to  the  National  Secretary. 

9.  Any  person  living  In  a  city  or  lo- 
cality where  no  local  exists,  may  apply 
directly  to  the  National  Secretary  for 
admission  to  the  Party,  enclosing  one 
month's  dues,  and  will  be  enrolled  as 
a  member-at-large. 

10.  In  regard  to  fBlmphlets,  leaflets, 
platforms,  and  other  Information,  ad- 
dress the  National  Secretary,  William 
Butscher.Theater  Bldg.,  Court  Square, 
Springfield,  Mass. 

SUBSCRIBE   FOR 

The  People,  weekly,  184  William  sr.. 
New  York. 

"Haverhill  Social  Democrat,"  week- 
ly. 25  Washington  st.,  Haverhill,  Mass. 

"Workers'  Call,"  weekly,  36  North 
•  lark  St.,  Chicago.  111. 

"Public  Ownership,"  weekly,  SOt? 
State  St.,  Erie,  Pa. 

"Advance,"  weekly,  117  Turk  st.. 
San  Francisco,  Cal. 

"VorwUerts,"  German  weekly,  184 
William  street.  New  York. 

"Arbelterzeltung."  Cerraan    week- 
ly, St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Read  the  following 

PAMPHLETS: 

"The  Class   Struggle. lii.'    i  r....- 

tarlat,"  "The  Capitalist  Class.**  and 
"The  Co-operative  Commonwealth," 
by  Karl  Kautsky,  and  "The  Class 
War  In  Idaho."  by  .Tob  Harrlman. 


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A  WEEKLY  PAPER, 

JPubUshed  in   the  Interest  of  the   Working    Class  and 
Advocating  the  Principles  of  the 

SOCIAL   DEMOCRATIC  PARTY. 


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I     THE  PEOPLE,  184  William  St.,  N.  Y. 

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